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AV 









P|i 






Introduction 

In the first book of this series of adven- 
ture stories, “ A Little Princess of Tonopah,” 
the twelve-year-old heroine, Jean Kingsley, 
leaves the little middle west town of Payne- 
ville with her father and goes to the mining 
camp in Nevada. There Jean soon has an 
interesting circle of new friends, Tubby, Skin, 
the Gold Eagle Man and the Rainbow Lady 
among them. She lives in a tent, discovers a 
cave, gets lost in the desert and has numerous 
other strange adventures. She proves her orig- 
inality and resourcefulness during the trying 
experiences of making good in the new land. 
She helps her father in his quest for the for- 
tune which comes at last. Tubby gives Jean 
the name of “ Little Princess of Tonopah.” 

Her father’s new wealth opens a different life 
for Jean. The second book, “ A Little Princess 
of the Pines,” tells how she conducts herself 
3 


4 


Introduction 


92 ^ 
\fSS4i 

' Lp 


as the daughter of a wealthy man. Her ad- 
ventures with Abraham Share-Elk and Mary 
Little-Moon, the Crooked One, and several new 
girl friends, combine to make her experience 
in the northwest full of dramatic interest. 
Here she is Wazi Itancanwin, or Princess of 
the Pines. She is very proud of her name 
but she occasionally forgets and does un- 
princess-like things. 

The third book, “ A Little Princess of the 
Patio,” has Mexico for its setting, where Jean 
lives in an entirely new atmosphere — ro- 
mantic, picturesque and exciting. Here she 
meets again Tubby and Beatrice Paxton, two 
of her Tonopah friends. Tubby is not satis- 
fied with the way she has conducted herself 
as a Princess. Since he first gave her the 
princess name, he claims the right to take it 
away from her. He puts her on probation. 
Jean tries very hard to win back her name. 
Everything seems to be against her but 
Tubby counts the “ willing-to-do-deeds ” and 
in the end crowns her La Princesita del Patio, 


Introduction 5 

Princess of the Patio. She bids adios to 
Orizaba and returns with her father to 
Payneville for a short time. The present 
story tells how Jean found Nan Sherman and 
how she took her to a new kind of a school 
in Montana. 


) 


Contents 


I. 

Jean’s New Plan 




ii 

II. 

First Days of Work 




3 1 

III. 

The Prize Pearl . 




39 

IV. 

Jean’s Decision 




5 i 

V. 

Triple X . 




69 

VI. 

Facing Court . 




87 

VII. 

Triple X Surprises . 




107 

VIII. 

Dovetailing 




118 

IX. 

Star-Face on Adventure 




128 

X. 

The Penny Whistlers 




142 

XI. 

On the Trail . 




160 

XII. 

Home-Made Color . 




176 

XIII. 

“ Mister B’ar ” 




192 

XIV. 

A New Friend . 




208 

XV. 

Frontier Day . 




222 

XVI. 

Recrowned 




236 

XVII. 

Overland . 




248 

XVIII. 

A Camp Visitor 




261 

XIX. 

The Hold-Up . 




284 

XX. 

Farewell to the Little Princess 


3°4 


7 





♦ 






























Illustrations 


“ Look What’s Inside ” . 

Under the Cool Trees . 

The Door Swung Open . 

“ Fve Lost My Way,” She Cried . 
They Followed the Trail 
“ Are You Looking for a Bear ? ” 

“ My Tulips are Up ” 


PAGE 

. Frontispiece ^ 

• 41 L 

. IOO 4/ 

. . 134 ^ 

. . i6i\X 

. . 201 ' 


*37 


/ 


A Little Princess of the Ranch 


i 


9 










A Little Princess of the 
Ranch 


CHAPTER I 

JEAN’S NEW PLAN 

“ I want to try it,” announced Jean deci- 
sively to her father, as they sat together in the 
little Payneville garden. 

“Try what?” asked Mr. Kingsley, looking 
up from his book. 

Jean had been sitting in perfect silence for 
such a long time that he had no idea what 
was in her mind. 

“ Why — working, of course. I’ve been 
thinking about it for ever so long. I want to 
see if I can earn some money by myself.” 

“ Now why in the world should you bother 
yourself about earning money, Jean ? Don’t 

I keep enough of a jingle in your purse ? ” 

11 


12 


A Little Princess of the Ranch 

“ Yes, but it isn't just the same. I'd like 
to try to earn something just to see if I could 
do it." 

“ I imagine the acquaintance you made 
with Mary Thornton on our way from 
Mexico to Illinois made you think about 
this," said Mr. Kingsley, suddenly enlight- 
ened. “ She was such an interesting speci- 
men of a girl who earns her own living." 

Jean's eyes brightened. 

“ Wasn't she just the dearest girl you ever 
saw ? I have a letter from her in my pocket 
now. She is going to stop being a private 
secretary and start a greenhouse. Just think 
of it — a greenhouse all her own." 

“ Does she want a partner? " 

“ No, she is going to manage it all herself. 
She has planned it for a long time, and she 
knows just how she wants every little thing. 
It makes me all jumpy to do something by 
myself, too. I couldn't do anything like that, 
though, for she has saved her money to start 
with, and I haven't a penny in the bank." 


Jean’s New Plan 13 

“ I will supply you with all the capital you 
need,” said Mr. Kingsley, humorously, not in 
the least taking seriously what Jean was say- 
ing. 

“ I want to start all by myself,” pursued 
Jean, ignoring her father’s tone. “ I believe 
I could earn something, in some way or other. 
I have earned money — don’t you remember 
in Tonopah how much fudge I sold ? Then 
before that, right here in Payneville, when 
Ted Neil and I used to sell lemonade from 
our hollow log store ? It was all great fun 
and I want to try working again. I want to 
see how it seems to have money in my pocket 
that I’ve earned myself — money I can spend 
just any way I please. I’d feel so proud to 
say I’d bought something with money I had 
actually earned.” 

Jean spoke so earnestly that her father saw 
there was no use treating the matter lightly. 

“ Do you really mean that you want to start 
out and try to earn something all by your- 
self?” 


14 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

“ Yes, I do,” Jean answered emphatically, 
“ and I want to do it right off.” 

A little crinkle appeared upon Mr. Kings- 
ley’s forehead. He sat thinking for a few 
moments, then suddenly he looked at her 
with a relieved expression. 

“ What could you do, Jean ? ” Mr. Kings- 
ley asked the question as if he thought that 
the problem would be settled without his 
having to raise any objection. 

Jean drew down her brows. 

“ That’s just what is bothering me, Father 
Dick. I’ve learned a lot about different 
things at Saint Catherine’s, but I don’t know 
how to make money out of anything I’ve 
learned.” 

Her father laughed as he turned to look at 
her. Curled up in the corner of the garden 
seat, she looked like a very little girl indeed. 
When she suddenly jumped to her feet to 
wave at her old friend Cap’n Joe Sanders as 
he passed in his high melon wagon, her father 
gave her a playful shake. 


15 


Jean’s New Plan 

“ A little girl like you talking seriously 
about earning money ! You’d better wait 
until you begin to grow up.” 

“ Maybe I don’t look grown up, but just 
think a minute — how old shall I be my next 
birthday ? ” 

Her father remembered half incredulously. 

“ Seventeen,” he answered slowly. “ It’s 
hard to believe it.” 

“ So you see I’m really not a little girl after 
all,” cried Jean triumphantly ; “ I’m grown 
up already.” 

She slid off the seat, however, in a fashion 
not at all grown up, and sped down the path 
to take the muskmelons which Cap’n Joe 
held out to her. 

“ I brought these melons along for you, 
Jean, rememberin’ how you used to like ’em,” 
he said by way of greeting. 

“ Have you been out at your farm, Cap’n 
Joe ? ” Jean asked, eager for news of the place. 

“ Been a-haulin’ watermelons all day. I 
shet up my shop, so’s to get my melons into 


16 A Little Princess of the Ranch 


town while the price is up. I’ve got jest one 
more load to get in to-day. Climb into the 
wagon and go along with me to empty these 
melons I got here fer the grocery store. 
Then, your pa willin’, we’ll set out fer the 
river and get the last load into town before 
sundown.” 

Jean climbed to a place on the high seat 
and in great glee took the whip which Cap’n 
Joe proffered her. 

“ It must be time for the mail,” commented 
Jean, as she snapped off the tops of the tall 
weeds near the post-office corner. 

Going for the mail in Payneville was the 
event of the day for the people of the village. 
Jean saw many of her old friends in front of 
the post-office — among them Ted Neil, with his 
hair a-tousle as in the days when he used to 
help Jean sell lemonade in their make-believe 
store by the old tree stump. 

“ Get down, Jean,” cried Ted, “ and let’s 
read the notice on the post-office door while 
Cap’n Joe unloads his melons.” 


J 7 


Jean’s New Plan 

Jean clambered down, and together they 
joined the group of interested readers who 
were craning their necks to read the new 
notice on the door which served as a town 
bulletin. Ted made a place for Jean by 
poking his elbows persuasively right and left. 

“ It’s about shelling,” announced Ted over 
his shoulder as he got near enough to make 
out the head-lines. 

“ It seems so queer to hear everyone talking 
about shelling,” Jean said. “ When I went 
away from here five years ago, no one ever 
dreamed that the pearls in the Illinois River 
mussels were worth anything. Now people 
talk about shelling as if it were a regular 
industry.” 

“ So Tis — or getting to be,” Ted answered 
enthusiastically. “ Seems as if every one’s 
got the shelling fever. This notice will 
make people more excited than ever. Just 
read what it says. Can you see ? ” 

“ Yes, I can read it now,” Jean said inter- 
estedly, as she gained a sudden vantage ground. 


18 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

The notice which caused so much interest 
had been put there by the pearl buyers who 
visited the river region every month : 

“ All pearls offered after this date will 
bring an increase in price of ten per cent. 
A prize of $400 plus the regular payment will 
be paid for the largest pearl found before the 
first of August.” 

“ I’ll get a shellin' outfit and start for the 
river to-morrow morning,” declared Ted ex- 
citedly, as he finished reading. 

Jean looked at him wistfully. 

“ Come along, Jean,” interrupted Cap’n 
Joe. “ I'm ready now to start for the river 
again, and we’ve not got a minute to lose if we 
get back before sundown with my last load.” 

Jean hurried back to her place in the 
wagon for she was very eager to see again the 
winding road which led to Cap’n Joe’s 
“ melon patch.” Most of all, she wanted to 
look at the river with its “ catboats ” and 
battered sailing boats which used to suggest 
much strange adventure to her imagination. 


'9 


Jean’s New Plan 

She wanted to see the “ river folks ” again 
and to listen to their drawling talk, so differ- 
ent from that of the villagers. 

A great elation stole over her as the big gray 
horses pulled the wagon thunderingly through 
the covered bridges. Presently Cap’n Joe 
drew rein at a point where, by standing upon 
the seat, Jean could catch a glimpse of the 
river below the bluff. 

“ Look at the boats ! ” she exclaimed. 
“ Why, they're everywhere." 

“ Them's the shellin' boats," explained 
Cap'n Joe. “ You can tell now how plum 
crazy every one is about huntin' pearls. I 
fer one am contented enough with my black- 
smith shop and my melon patch. I'm not 
hankerin' to work in the hot sun out in one 
of them boats fer hours at a time, then mebbe 
not get a thing to pay fer my trouble." 

“Is shelling hard to do?" asked Jean, 
eager to inspect the boats close at hand. 

“ I reckon any one with enough strength 
to pull up the mussel bar can do it." 


20 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

“ What’s a mussel bar? ” 

“ It’s a wooden bar with hooks on long 
ropes a-hangin’ to it. The mussels bite on the 
hooks and close fast, then all a body has to 
do is to pull the bar outen the water, take off 
the mussels and cook ’em fer a while to open 
up — then hunt fer the pearls. It ain’t very 
hard, I reckon — just tedious, waitin’ fer the 
mussels to bite. It’s so oncertain no one with 
right good sense would waste time on ’t. 
Why, a body might work a hull day and 
never find a single pearl. Besides, the good 
ones are scarce — mighty scarce.” 

“ Oh, but there’s always a chance,” ex- 
claimed Jean, her eyes shining. 

“ Yes, there’s alius a chance, fer them that 
wants it,” replied Cap’n Joe without enthusi- 
asm. “ I don’t take any stock in shellin’ my- 
self.” 

“ Can a girl do shelling? ” questioned Jean, 
fired with a great desire to try it. 

“ I reckon so. Nan Sherman — Bill Sher- 
man’s girl — works with her brother Jim right 


Jean’s New Plan 21 

along. Bill Sherman was no account — left 
his family without a cent when he died of the 
river fever — and I guess it keeps the family 
hustlin' pretty lively to make ends meet. 
Nan and Jim might do better, it seems to me, 
than spend all their time at shellin'. There 
they are now a-comin' up from the river." 

There was a sudden sound of laughter from 
the bluff just below them and Jean leaned 
forward eagerly to catch a glimpse of Nan, who 
came up the road, swinging her blue sunbon- 
net — careless of the fact that the sun was giv- 
ing her more freckles and burning her hair a 
tawnier hue. 

“ I'll jest call her over — she can tell ye all 
about shellin’, better'n I can," said Cap'n Joe, 
to Jean's delight. “ We’ll drive on to the 
patch and you can talk to her while I pile 
the melons in." 

Nan came to the wagon a little shyly when 
she saw that Cap’n Joe had a stranger with 
him. 

“ Nan, this is Jean Kingsley, who wants to 


22 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

hear all about the work you’re doin’, ” ex- 
plained Cap’n Joe. “ Climb up on the seat 
and get acquainted while I work in the patch. 
I’ll bring the best melon I can find for you 
two youngsters to sample.” 

Quick as a squirrel, Nan climbed into the 
wagon and Cap’n Joe hurried the horses to 
the melon patch. In a few minutes he brought 
a big striped watermelon and placed it be- 
tween the girls upon the spring-seat. 

“ There,” he said, dexterously cutting the 
melon, “ eat the heart and throw the rest ’long- 
side the road fer stray chickens and birds.” 

He watched them appreciatively take the 
first luscious bite, then he left them to them- 
selves. Quite at her ease after her first 
mouthful, Nan poured into Jean’s ears the 
story of her shelling experiences. 

“ Look,” cried Nan, suddenly putting her 
hand into her pocket and bringing forth a 
small, tightly wrapped piece of newspaper. 
“ Look what’s inside. I found it to-day — the 
last time I opened the vat.” 


23 


Jean’s New Plan 

Very carefully she unwrapped the paper 
and transferred a pink skinned pearl to the 
palm of her brown hand, where it lay like 
some fairy token, glistening in the sun- 
light. 

“ It looks like soap-bubbles in the sun,” ex- 
claimed Jean. 

“ And peacocks’ tails,” added Nan, cuddling 
her treasure. “ It’s one of the biggest finds 
I’ve made in all the five years I’ve been 
shellin’.” 

" Five years ! ” gasped Jean. 

Nan nodded. 

“Just as soon as folks began to find out 
that the pearls in the river were worth some- 
thing I went at shellin’ with Jim. I’ve 
worked hard ever since, helpin’ to make a 
livin’ for the family and to save something 
besides to ” 

Here Nan paused and shot a sidewise glance 
at Jean. 

“ Go on,” begged Jean. She saw in Nan’s 
eyes an eager flash. She felt drawn irresist- 


24 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

ibly to this girl whose soft voice with its odd 
little drawl was so appealing. 

“ To go off to school — if only just for a 
year,” burst oiit Nan, her voice catching in a 
half sob. “ I’ve dreamed about it ever since 
I was no taller’n that little wild rosebush over 
there. River folks like us don’t see many 
books outside the country schoolhouse and I 
made up my mind that I’d get enough pearls 
so I could go off to school like the girls I’ve 
read about. My folks laughed at me at 
first. They didn’t think I really could do it, 
but they let me try. They never begrudged 
me the part of my money that I put away. 
I want to go off to school so I can learn how 
to help my family more than I can now, 
while I’m so ignorant. I’ve been shellin’ 
now for five years and I’ve saved more’n half 
enough for a year’s schooling.” 

“Just think of working five years for any- 
thing,” Jean said in an awed tone. 

“ I’ve almost given up three or four times. 
It seems’s if I’ll never get enough — but when I 


25 


Jean’s New Plan 

need a little encouragement I take a look at 
the last pearl I've found and somehow or 
other if I just hold it in my hands like this 
and look and look I can believe again that 
my dream's going to come true one of these 
days. There's something about a pearl that 
makes a body imagine things — -just hold this 
one and see." 

Jean drew a long breath as she felt the 
gossamer weight of Nan's treasure in her own 
hand. The sheen, the delicacy of it fascinated 
her. Here was a charmed treasure, she 
thought, equal to Aladdin's lamp — the mere 
touch of it conjured up visions of dreams 
come true, — visions so real that there was no 
doubting them. 

“ Oh, I'm sure that your wish will come 
true," asserted Jean, convinced. “ I do wish 
it would come true right off, so you could go 
with me in September to Triple X. It's a 
ranch school in Montana. Father Dick 
wants me to go there where I can be out-of- 
doors a lot of the time. He says I'm grow- 


26 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

ing too fast to go back to boarding-school at 
Saint Catherine’s.” 

Nan’s eyes widened. Here was a girl who 
had already “ been off to school.” She knew 
all about it. And she wanted a river girl 
like her to go with her to a new school ! 

“ Oh — if only I could go with you — but I 
can’t — it’s too soon. I never can earn enough 
before September. I mustn’t think about it. 
But tell me all the things I’ve wanted to 
know about going off to school — there are 
thousands of things I never could find in 
books.” 

She began a fire of questions which was in- 
terrupted all too soon for both of them by 
Cap’n Joe’s announcement that he had filled 
the wagon with melons. 

“ I’ll be back to-morrow,” promised Jean. 
“ You can show me just what shelling is like. 
I’m going to ask the very first thing when I 
get home whether I can learn to do it too.” 

“ You ? ” exclaimed Nan in surprise. 
“ Why do you want to learn to do shellin’ ? ” 


Jean’s New Plan 27 

“ 1 want to try to earn some money all by 
myself.” 

“ What would you do with your money ? ” 
questioned Nan, naively curious. “ You 
don’t need it to go off to school, do you ? ” 

“ No, not for that — but I’m crazy for a jade 
necklace and a lot of things I’d like to buy 
with money I’ve earned myself.” 

“ Do come learn shelling then,” said Nan, 
holding out her hands impulsively, “ and 
have your vat close to mine. We’ll work to- 
gether right along.” 

When Jean reached home and ran up the 
path, she looked wistfully about the garden 
at the stir of busy workers everywhere. 

She saw the birds hurrying to their nests 
with something to eat for the little ones. The 
ants were running about making their nests 
by the garden bench. The bees were busy 
appropriating all the honey they could find. 
Every living creature, except herself, seemed 
to have work to do. She could see Cousin 
Rachel in the kitchen putting up preserves. 


28 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

Her sleeves were rolled up and the contented 
look upon her face showed how much she was 
enjoying herself. Cousin Elizabeth was past- 
ing the labels on the jars. When Jean found 
her father working in the vegetable garden, 
she had the feeling of being quite left out. 

“ Work’s in the air, Father Dick — every 
one except me has something to do. Please 
say I can work too.” 

Her father put down his hoe and astonished 
her by giving his consent without further 
hesitancy. 

“ Perhaps, after all, work is just what you 
need, Jean,” he said. “ You haven’t been 
interested in things the way you used to be. 
Work may act as a tonic. I think I’ll let you 
try it until school opens in September — pro- 
vided, of course, you don’t ask to go away 
from me.” 

“ I shouldn’t want to try it if I had to go 
away from you, Father Dick,” Jean answered 
promptly, “ but I’ve found something I can 
do down at the river — I want to try shelling.” 


2 9 


Jean’s New Plan 

Then Jean related breathlessly her after* 
noon's experience and unfolded her plan to 
work with Nan Sherman. 

“ Shelling it is, then," approved Mr. Kings- 
ley, and Jean pirouetted into the house to tell 
Cousin Rachel and Cousin Elizabeth. 

“ I'm going to earn some money all by my- 
self," she announced exultantly at the kitchen 
door. 

“ That's good," said Cousin Rachel. “ But 
how are you going to do it ? " 

“ Guess." 

“ I don't know, I'm sure. There aren't any 
girls your age in Payneville who earn money 
unless maybe at home — doing a little house- 
work or sewing," speculated Cousin Elizabeth 
pausing with a conserve label in her hand. 

“ I'm going to do something out-of-doors — 
something as important as having a green- 
house like Mary or working in a mine like 
Tubby so I'll not be ashamed to tell them 
about it. I'm going to hunt for river-pearls." 

“ Shelling ? " cried Cousin Rachel, dropping 


30 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

her spoon into the kettle. “ Why, mostly 
men and boys do that.” 

“ But if a girl can do it, Cousin Rachel, 
isn't it respectable work ? ” 

“ Oh, I suppose it's perfectly respectable, if 
it comes to that.” 

“Then I'm going to try it, — just as soon 
as I can learn how and get my outfit.” 

“ Work is such great fun,” said Cousin 
Elizabeth, pouring the gold-colored syrup 
over the plums. “ We’ll not say a word 
against your new plan.” 


CHAPTER II 


FIRST DAYS OF WORK 

Jean was out of bed at sunrise next morn- 
ing. She was ready and eager to start right 
after breakfast for the river with her father, 
who promised to drive there with her every 
morning and return for her in the afternoon, 
unless Cap’n Joe happened to be “ coming to 
town ” with a load of watermelons. There 
was always room in Cap’n Joe’s wagon for 
Jean. 

“ Here I am, ready for my first lesson in 
shelling,” announced Jean as Nan was just 
pulling off in her boat. 

“ Oh, you have come back,” cried Nan with 
a breath of relief. “ I was so afraid you 
wouldn’t. I had a hard time getting to sleep 
last night — thinking about you and all the 

things you said. Get into the boat and we’ll 
31 


32 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

see how many mussels we can haul in before 
noon.” 

As Jean helped lower the mussel bar into 
the water, Nan explained how to drag with 
it until the hooks were heavy with mussels. 

“ We drag down-stream always, so it’s not 
much trouble keeping the boat going. The 
mule does that. All you have to think about 
is pulling the mule-ropes once in a while.” 

“The mule ?” queried Jean, peering about 
the boat as if she half expected to see some 
long ears emerge from under the seats. 
“Where in the world do you keep it?” 

“ Oh, it's not alive,” explained Nan. “ It's 
just a piece of canvas hung from the back end 
of the boat to catch the current and keep the 
boat moving. You see, the weight of the bar 
would anchor it if ’twasn’t for the mule.” 

“ Oh, let me manage the ropes,” begged Jean. 

“ You can if you like — it's done a good deal 
the way you would drive a sure enough mule. 
You pull the ropes to the right and left so as 
to keep on the mussel beds.” 


First Days of Work 33 

Jean rolled up her sleeves and began work 
in earnest. They sat in the boat for hours, it 
seemed to Jean, before Nan pulled up the 
mussel bar to take the mussels off the hooks. 

“It takes a long time, doesn’t it?” she 
commented, ruefully squinting one eye at 
the sun blister on her nose. 

“ Long ? ” drawled Nan. “ Why, I call this 
pretty quick work. We haven’t been out 
more’n half an hour. Do you want to 
quit ? ” 

“Do I want to quit?” ejaculated Jean. 
“ I don’t want to quit until I’ve learned every- 
thing there is to learn about shelling so I can 
get that jade necklace and say I earned it my- 
self.” 

Every twenty minutes Nan hauled up the 
mussel bar, and soon they had a big heap of 
mussels in the boat. Jean was all impatience 
to find out whether there were any pearls 
inside. 

“ I don’t see how you can be so patient,” 
she commented, as they were rowing back, 


34 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

much impressed by Nan’s calm way of pro- 
ceeding with her work. 

“ I always feel fizzy as can be until I get the 
shells opened, , 7 admitted Nan, “ even if I don't 
act like it." 

Together they put the mussels into the vat 
and sat down under the trees to share the 
contents of their luncheon baskets during the 
necessary fifty minutes of waiting. 

Nan exclaimed delightedly over the white 
frosting on the little cakes which Cousin Eliza- 
beth had tucked into Jean's basket. 

“ We never have frosting on the cakes at our 
house," she commented as she took some harvest 
apples from her basket and offered them to Jean. 

Jean could hardly eat. She looked at her 
watch constantly and long before the fifty 
minutes were over she was jumping about the 
vat, — all eagerness to be the first to open one 
of the mussels. 

Nan showed her how to open and clean the 
shells on the long pine table and to look for 
the pearls. 


35 


First Days of Work 

“ You have to poke around a long time to 
make sure whether a pearl is there. I’ve 
found one sometimes just as I was about to 
throw the shells away. Another thing, don’t 
forget to look around on the table and in the 
vat after the shells are out because the biggest 
pearls work loose and drop out sometimes 
while the mussels are cooking.” 

They opened dozens of shells, but found 
not a single pearl. 

“ Not even a slug or a spike,” remarked 
Nan, cheerfully clearing the table in readiness 
for the next lot. 

“ What may slugs and spikes be ? ” ques- 
tioned Jean, with the feeling that there was 
no end to her lesson in shelling. 

“ They’re pearls ‘ gone bad ’ as the fisher- 
men say — that is, they start out to be pearls, 
then turn out half shell. The spikes are 
pointed — that’s all the difference between a 
slug and a spike.” 

“ What are they worth ? ” Jean asked, grow- 
ing very businesslike. 


36 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

“ The buyers usually give a dollar to three 
dollars an ounce for them.” 

“ Why, that’s hardly worth the trouble of 
getting them.” 

“ Oh, yes, it is, for every little counts. If it 
hadn’t been for all the slugs and spikes I’ve 
found, I wouldn’t have much money in my 
stocking.” 

“ Do you really keep your savings in a 
stocking? ” 

“ Yes, I do,” admitted Nan, “ because I like 
to take my money out and look at it once in 
a while to make sure I really have it.” 

The afternoon work went quickly, for Nan 
and Jean filled in the intervals of waiting by 
discussing school. Nan’s questions were so 
droll that Jean forgot the blistering sun. 
Cap’n Joe stopped to take Jean home long 
before she was ready to go. 

“ Why, we haven’t found one pearl yet,” 
she cried. “ We must find one slug or spike 
at least before we go home. We must have 
something to show for our whole day’s work.” 


37 


First Days of Work 

“ You have your blisters,” laughed Nan. 

“ And lots of information about shelling,” 
added Jean, rising to the mood of her dauntless 
companion ; “ but you, Nan — you’ll have noth- 
ing to put in your stocking.” 

“ I’ve worked many a day like this, with- 
out getting anything except a good appetite 
for supper. There’s always to-morrow and 
the prospect of finding the prize pearl, 
maybe.” 

Jean looked admiringly at her new friend 
who seemed the embodiment of courage and 
patience. 

“Jean hasn’t learned how to wait for 
things,” said Cap’n Joe, banteringly. “ She 
kin learn a good deal from you besides 
shellin’, I’m thinkin’.” 

“ Better luck then, to-morrow,” said Jean 
waving a gay good-bye. 

Jean had to bear a great deal of good- 
natured ridicule from Cap’n Joe when on the 
way home she told him her plans. 

“ A girl thet’s been off to school — spendin’ 


38 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

her hull time on sich a wuthless business as 
shellin’ — ain’t it enough now to rile any one 
that calls himself a friend of sich an outen- 
her-head person as you show yourself to be ? 
It ’pears to me if you air bound and deter- 
mined to work, you’d better find something 
sensible.” 

Many a daisy’s head was laid low by his 
whip during this speech. 

“ Now, Cap’n Joe,” protested Jean, “ wait 
a while before you make up your mind for 
good about this work of mine.” 


CHAPTER III 


THE PRIZE PEARL 

The next day Jean began work with her 
own outfit. She set up her vat as close as 
possible to Nan’s, and the two girls always 
kept their boats near together. More and 
more Jean longed to take little eager Nan 
with her to Triple X, but she learned not to 
speak of it, for after much hungry question- 
ing about the school Nan said pathetically : 

“ We’d better not talk about it — you see 
it only makes it harder for me to be patient 
and keep on waitin’. I can’t think of goin’ 
for a long while yet. There’s no prospect at 
all of goin’ this September.” 

During the first days of her work Jean had 
what Cousin Rachel termed “ more than one 
person’s share of luck.” 

“Fll soon have enough for my jade neck- 
39 


40 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

lace,” Jean said buoyantly. “Won’t I be 
proud when I show it to Mary Thornton and 
Tubby and tell them that I earned it all by 
myself? ” 

Jean grew less confident, however, as the 
weeks went by and her luck changed. Her 
accumulation of pearls grew very slowly in- 
deed. She found very few that were not im- 
perfect. Her enthusiasm waned considerably. 
Money which she had earned herself seemed 
after all not so much more desirable than the 
money Father Dick put into her purse. The 
jade necklace became a very remote possi- 
bility in her mind. She would have hardly 
anything left after she had paid for her out- 
fit. The weather grew very hot, and it took 
much courage for Jean to go out on the river 
every morning to work under the scorching 
sun. What was the use, she began to ask 
herself, of working when she didn’t have to 
do it? She felt that she didn’t really care 
about the jade necklace after all. More than 
once she was tempted to tell Nan that she 



UNDER THE COOL TREES 


4 




The Prize Pearl 41 

was going to stop shelling, but she found it 
hard to give up when Nan herself was never 
discouraged, no matter what happened. 

One particularly hot day Jean made up 
her mind that she would tell Nan that she 
was not going to work that day and perhaps 
not any other day. It would be hard to say 
it with Nan's eyes squinting in their quizzical 
way at her, but she would “ out with it" some- 
how. Nan was late and Jean stretched herself 
comfortably under the cool trees to wait for 
her. 

“What do you think, Jean?" Nan cried, 
when she finally arrived, breathless from run- 
ning. “Our kitchen roofs tumbled in. The 
whole shack needs proppin' up and mendin'. 
So I’m goin' to take my school money to set 
the place straight." 

“ Oh, Nan," exclaimed Jean in quick sym- 
pathy, “ do you really have to give up your 
school money ? It's taken you so long to 
earn it." 

“ Never mind," responded Nan, cheerfully, 


42 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

jumping into her boat. “Til earn some 
more.” 

“ But it will set you back so far. It will 
be ages before you can earn that much 
again.” 

“ Yes, it will set me back — but ’tisn’t as if 
I didn’t know I could earn it by just stickin’ 
to it. Hurry along, Jean, and jump into your 
own boat — it’s gettin’ late. If you don’t 
buckle down to work you’ll never earn any- 
thing either.” 

Jean could not say one word about quitting 
work after that. Slowly she got into her own 
boat. 

“ I just couldn’t go off and leave Nan 
working there all by herself,” Jean said when 
she told the incident to her father. “ She’s 
so brave. I can at least help her by staying 
around and keeping her from getting lonely, 
I can’t bear to think of going away without 
her in September. She wants to go so much 
— it doesn’t seem right somehow to leave her 
behind. I like her better every day. She’s 


The Prize Pearl 


43 


so bright and such fun. She is exactly like 
Tubby before he went to school — 'illiter- 
ate but not ignorant/ as you used to say. 
She is so independent that she will not use 
any money that isn’t her very own — money 
she has earned. After you said you would 
like to help her, I talked to her about it, but 
it wasn’t any use. I told her she could pay 
you back some time but she said she wouldn’t 
dare give a mortgage on her brains for they 
might not turn out to be worth anything. 
Oh, I just can’t go away without my little 
Nan.” 

“ Don’t get discouraged,” said her father. 
“ Perhaps something unexpected may happen 
to make things come right.” 

“ You can always make me ‘ chirk up,’ 
Father Dick. You make me believe a miracle 
may happen— just by the way you say 
things.” 

After that Jean worked most industriously, 
and when she had little luck, she managed 
not to show her dejection. Nan worked away 


44 


A Little Princess of the Ranch 

as cheerily as if nothing had happened to 
interfere with her saving money to “ go off to 
school.” 

“ I don’t see how you can laugh so much, 
with your school plans at a standstill and 
when it’s such scorching weather,” Jean ex- 
claimed wonderingly one blistering day. 

The hour was early, but already the oars 
felt hot to their hands as they pushed off from 
the bank. The river seemed hardly to move 
in the intense glare. 

“ I can always laugh,” answered Nan. 
“ Of course I’m sorry about havin’ to start all 
over again to save for school, but I’m too busy 
to mope over it. Besides there’s so much to 
cheer a body up. All I have to do is to look 
around for it. The frogs help out a lot — 
they’re always croakin’ such funny things. 
And the sun’s not so bad when I put wet 
leaves in my hat. Take some for yours.” 

Jean was grateful during the morning 
for the cooling leaves which Nan gave her to 
put into the crown of her big straw hat. She 


The Prize Pearl 


4 5 


watched Nan drawing in her mussels and 
marveled at the amount of energy which 
she put into the action. Suddenly a new 
idea popped into Jean's head. 

“ I'll put what pearls I have into Nan's 
vat," she determined. “ I'll help her go 
away to school. That's a much better way of 
using my pearls than trying to get a jade 
necklace to flourish about. Anyhow I can 
never earn enough to get that." 

Jean planned to cook her mussels early 
and to hurry over to Nan's vat while she 
was at work. Surely she could get the oppor- 
tunity somehow to slip in her pearls while 
Nan was not looking. 

“ They don't amount to much — but they'll 
help," thought Jean, taking her pearls out of 
the little sack which she had fastened about 
her neck. “ I'll pick out the best ones and 
put in only a few the first time, so Nan won't 
suspect." 

This newly hatched plan caused Jean to 
„ hurry at her work and to regard with indif- 


46 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

ference the small number of mussels she had 
at the end of the morning. She scrambled 
out of her boat ahead of time and piled her 
mussels recklessly into her vat. 

“Too hot for you ?” called Nan teasingly 
from her boat. 

“ I’m sizzled/' Jean answered, mopping her 
face. 

Jean stretched herself under a tree to wait 
impatiently until she could open her mussels 
and finish her work. She wanted to be free 
to stroll over to Nan’s vat by the time she 
brought her boat to the bank. Jean tried to 
read while the mussels were cooking, but her 
gaze kept wandering from her book to Nan, 
busily working out in the hot sun. 

When the time came to open her vat, Jean 
sprang up and fell to work energetically. 
She scattered the mussels about and opened 
them without much care, tossing the shells 
aside as quickly as she could. She was glad 
that she had only a few, because she could 
look them over quickly. She cleaned her 


The Prize Pearl 


47 


table swiftly, and hurriedly gave a last look 
into the vat. There in the bottom of the vat 
something shining caught her eye. 

In a second there lay in Jean’s hand a 
pearl so large that she gasped triumphantly, 
“ It’s the prize pearl,” and danced up and 
down hugging her treasure close. 

Immediately her mind ran riot with new 
possibilities. Foremost crowded the idea of 
the jade necklace which, now that it might be 
a reality, seemed very much worth while. 
She pictured Tubby’s and Mary’s astonishment 
when she told them she had really earned it 
all by herself. She looked at the pearl trium- 
phantly. 

Slowly her eyes wandered to Nan still out 
there on the river. 

“ Nan shall have it,” she decided quickly. 
“ Dear, brave Nan — if this pearl is really large 
enough to take the prize, maybe after all she 
can go to school with me in the fall.” 

When she saw Nan coming up from the 
river she sped down the path to meet her. 


48 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

More than anything else, she told herself, she 
wanted to help Nan. 

“ I’ve finished my work,” Jean announced. 

“ Already ? ” 

“ Yes ; I didn’t have many mussels. Let me 
help you open yours.” 

“ Better lie in the shade.” 

But Jean persisted in helping, and hovered 
about watching for the opportunity to slip 
her big pearl in with Nan’s shells in such a 
way that she would think that it had worked 
loose and slipped out in a very usual way. 

While they were cleaning the mussels, Nan 
turned suddenly from the table for a pail of 
clear water, and Jean took the opportunity for 
which she had been waiting. 

“ What are you doing, Jean?” demanded 
Nan’s voice just as Jean was thrusting her 
pearl into a half-opened shell. 

Nan had been too quick for her. 

“ You’re putting a pearl you’ve found your- 
self into that shell,” guessed Nan. 

“ Oh, Nan, — let me,” pleaded Jean. “ Do 


The Prize Pearl 


49 


let me put it in — it's one I’ve just found to-day. 
Look — it’s so big I’m sure it’s the prize pearl. 
Please take it, Nan. It will mean school for 
you.” 

Nan half shut her eyes and Jean could not 
tell whether she was laughing or crying while 
she squinted critically at the pearl which Jean 
put into her hand. 

“ It’s a big find, Jean,” Nan said slowly, 
“ and you’re a dear to offer it, but it’s not the 
prize pearl.” Then from her little pail of 
“rinsing water” she took a pearl at which 
Jean stared half unbelievingly. 

“ You’ve found one yourself that’s ever so 
much bigger,” she cried. “ Oh, Nan — then 
you don’t need mine ! ” 

“ No,” answered Nan joyfully, “ I don’t — 
at least I hope not. We’ll have to see first 
whether mine really is the prize pearl. I’m 
most sure it is — oh, I just know it is. It’s so 
big — surely no one else has found a bigger 
one.” 

“ Oh, I do hope it is,” Jean said quiver- 


50 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

ingly as she understood how much Nan’s 
independence meant to her happiness. “ I 
wanted — oh, so much — to help you with my 
pearl — but it couldn’t have made me so happy 
as seeing you find the prize pearl yourself.” 

That night, cuddled in her father’s arms, 
Jean had a little cry. 

“ I wanted to help Nan so much,” she 
sobbed. “ I don’t see why I couldn’t when I 
wanted so much to do it.” 

“ Perhaps when we want with our whole 
hearts to give and something happens that we 
can’t — it’s giving just the same,” her father 
suggested comfortingly. “ There will surely 
be other ways you can help Nan. If she has 
really found the prize pearl and goes away to 
school with you in the fall, surely you will 
not lack for opportunities to help her. Learn- 
ing to do shelling has been well worth while 
if it has taught you the true spirit of giving.” 

“ And if I had never learned to do shelling, 
I should never have found Nan,” added Jean 
happily. 


CHAPTER IV 
jean’s decision 

“ Nan’s at home,” exclaimed Jean with sat- 
isfaction as she and her father reined their 
horses several weeks later at the little cabin 
and saw Nan busily engaged helping her 
brother tear shingles from the kitchen roof. 

Nan waved a broken shingle at them and 
agilely made her way down the rickety 
ladder. 

“ Oh, Nan,” exclaimed Jean, greeting her 
joyfully, “ it’s almost too good to be true that 
your pearl actually took the prize, and that 
you’re really going away to school with me.” 

“ And that the little cabin is bein’ made 
over as good as new,” added Nan happily. 
“ I’m havin’ such a good time tearin’ down 
the old leaky roof.” 

“ But your hands, Nan — they’re browner 
51 


52 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

than ever / 7 cried Jean. “ You work harder 
than any one I ever knew.” 

Nan surveyed her hands critically. ; 

“ What diff’rence does it make so long as 
I'm really goin' off to school ? I’m goin' 
where I can learn and learn and learn — 
nothing else counts. I'll have to work still 
harder if I get ready to leave with you in 
September. Why, I haven't any clothes that 
will do at all to take along. I reckon I’ll not 
have much money to spend on clothes, either. 
There's not goin’ to be much left after tuition 
and my railroad ticket are paid for. I’ll just 
have to get along with as little as I can. What 
all you goin' to take along, Jean ? ” 

Her gaze wandered from the flapping sole 
of her own old shoe to the shining tips of 
Jean’s riding boots. The expression upon 
her face moved Jean to make a sudden reso- 
lution. Here was a way she could help Nan. 

“ I haven’t my clothes ready for Triple X,” 
she answered quickly. “ I've grown so fast 
that I have to get everything new, almost.” 


53 


Jean’s Decision 

During the ride back, Mr. Kingsley found 
Jean very quiet. He knew that something 
was going on in her mind, but knowing that 
he would find out in time what it was, he 
allowed her to canter along in silence. He 
found telegrams awaiting him at the house 
which compelled him to leave for a few days’ 
business in St. Louis, so there was not time 
for Jean to tell him before he left what she 
had been thinking so hard about. 

“ As soon as you get back, there’s some- 
thing I want to talk to you about, Father 
Dick,” she said mysteriously, when she kissed 
him good-bye, “ so don’t stay long.” 

“ Not a minute longer than I can help,” 
promised Mr. Kingsley. 

After he had gone, Jean hurried into the 
room where her Cousin Rachel was working. 

“ Oh, Cousin Rachel, will you and Cousin 
Elizabeth please make me some dresses ? The 
kind I used to wear when I went to Tono- 
pah ? ” Jean requested eagerly, almost upset- 
ting the sewing basket. 


54 


A Little Princess of the Ranch 


“ Bless me, Jean, what do you want of 
dresses like that ? You know your Cousin 
Elizabeth and I can’t make clothes with any 
style to them — they wouldn’t look a bit like 
those you’ve been getting in the city. They’d 
be just plain, home-made dresses,” answered 
Cousin Rachel. 

“ Yes, I know,” Jean said, nodding ; “ that’s 
the sort I want.” 

Cousin Rachel looked at her in amaze- 
ment. 

“ Just when you are going off to school 
again ? What would be the use of them ? ” 

“ I want them to wear to school.” 

“ To school ? Why, the catalogue of 
Triple X says that the school doesn’t call for 
clothes at all different from other schools, ex- 
cept for a riding outfit and plenty of warm 
outdoor things.” 

“ Yes, I remember what the catalogue says, 
but you see, Nan can’t afford to have any- 
thing except home-made clothes. She’ll not 
have very much and I don’t want her to feel 


55 


Jean’s Decision 

any difference between my clothes and hers. 
I want to have dresses just like hers so she 
will not feel uncomfortable when she sees the 
other girls' wardrobes. It would be dreadfully 
hard for her if there was no one else at 
Triple X dressed in clothes like hers. She's 
so independent, she wouldn’t let us help her 
buy things like mine, and anyhow, I'd rather 
have clothes like hers. It’s a way I’ve found 
to help her." 

“ You are really willing to do without your 
pretty city-made clothes ? " questioned Cousin 
Rachel incredulously. “ It seems to me you 
do as much prinking before the glass as ever." 

“ Are you lecturing our little peacock ? " 
asked Cousin Elizabeth who came into the 
room just in time to hear the last sentence. 

“ Not lecturing, no — only trying to under- 
stand her request for plain home-made 
clothes such as we used to make for her. 
She wants us to make her some like those 
she wore when she went to Tonopah." 

“ Of all things ! " ejaculated Cousin Eliza- 


56 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

beth, throwing up her hands. “ It's been a 
long time since I’ve heard Jean ask for a 
plain dress.” 

“ She wants them now because Nan has to 
wear them.” 

“ Yes, and there’s another reason,” added 
Jean, “ one that has nothing to do with Nan.” 

“ What is it ? ” asked Cousin Rachel, notic- 
ing Jean’s sudden hesitancy. 

“ Well, it’s because I don’t want any one in 
the new school I’m going to to know that my 
father is getting to be a millionaire.” 

“ Why not ? Most girls would be proud of 
it.” 

“ I am proud of it in one way, — because 
Father Dick knows so well how to manage 
and has made so much out of nothing, but 
I’ve always remembered something the girls 
said at Saint Catherine’s once when a new 
pupil entered. She showed by her beautiful 
clothes and the things she had for her room 
that her father must be very wealthy, and all 
the girls just flocked around her doing every- 


Jean’s Decision 57 

thing they could to make her forget about 
being homesick. 

“ 4 She’s terribly rich/ one of the girls said, 
4 so every one will like her. That’s always 
the way when people are rich. It’s no 
trouble to be popular ! ’ She looked right 
at me and I wondered whether she meant 
that the girls were nice to me too because my 
father has so much money. It made me feel 
queer, and I tried to forget it just as soon as 
I could. I wished that no one knew about 
Father Dick’s mines, so I could be sure that 
they liked me for myself, and now that I’m 
going to Triple X, I think it will be fun to 
wear clothes just like a girl that is poor, then 
I’ll find out whether people really like me 
for myself or not.” 

44 That’s a good idea. Then too you can 
learn just how little after all it takes to 
make one happy,” philosophized Cousin 
Rachel. “ You see how simple our life here 
is in Payneville, and yet every day I think 
of something we could do without.” 


58 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

“ I believe, Rachel, you could live with as 
little as Diogenes and be content," commented 
her sister. “ I don't believe in show myself, 
but I do enjoy a little unnecessary trimming 
on my clothes." 

“ And I always feel, Elizabeth, that your 
jabots would look far better without so much 
work on them." 

“ Maybe they would, but it would be a 
great sacrifice for me to wear simpler ones. 
I'm sure I don't see how Jean can make up 
her mind to do without her pretty things, 
though I do say it's just what one needs to 
cure oneself of — natural-born vanity." 

“That’s a third reason then," Jean said, 
laughing. “ Only I hadn't thought of it 
before." 

“ If I have anything to do with your new 
dresses I’m afraid I'll want to trim them up 
too much — you’d better leave it all to your 
Cousin Rachel. I j ust can't bear to see you put 
away all your pretty plumage. It’s natural 
for a girl to like nice clothes, and I can’t see 


59 


Jean’s Decision 

the use of going without them when your 
father loves to give them to you. It was a 
very different matter when you couldn’t 
afford any but simple things.” 

“ Now don’t try to make her change her 
mind, Elizabeth,” said Cousin Rachel quickly. 
“ It’ll not hurt to let her try and it’s not as if 
she had to wear them always. I’ll go right 
up town with you in the morning, and we’ll 
pick out whatever you want.” 

“ Yes, buy them before Father Dick gets 
back,” Jean begged, “ or maybe I’ll change 
my mind ; for I know he’ll say just what 
Cousin Elizabeth says.” 

“ Never mind, Jean, I am on your side,” 
said Cousin Rachel approvingly. 

The next day Jean and Cousin Rachel 
went on a shopping expedition in the small 
Payneville stores. They came back with 
their arms full of bundles. Cousin Elizabeth 
inspected the simple materials very critically. 

“ Where is the trimming?” she asked as 
she fingered some plain blue cloth. 


60 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

“ There isn't any trimming for that dress,” 
explained Jean. “ We met Nan this morning 
doing her shopping too for Triple X. I got 
my things as nearly like hers as I could — she 
can't afford any except plain dresses. Our 
clothes are just different enough to show they 
are not quite like twins' things. Nan was so 
glad when she saw me buying things like 
hers. I could tell it made her a great deal 
happier. She asked me why I was getting 
things like that, and I told her one of the 
reasons — because I didn’t want people to be 
nice to me because I wore fine clothes. She 
thought it would be great fun, she said, for 
me to dress like a poor girl, like the princess 
we read about the other day who went to 
another land in the disguise of a peasant. 
I'm so glad I decided to wear clothes like 
Nan's.” 

In a few days Cousin Rachel completed 
some of the new dresses. It was a very 
demure looking Jean in her plain blue dress 
who greeted her father upon his return. 


Jean’s Decision 61 

“ Hello, who’s this ? ” exclaimed Mr. 
Kingsley. “ What little bluebird is this ? I 
imagine you’ll want to change your sober 
plumage pretty quickly when you see what 
I’ve brought back from the city with me.” 

When he opened his traveling bag and 
took out first a soft white and buff flowered 
silk, then one of pastel blue, Jean’s favorite 
color, she hugged the materials close in her 
arms and went dancing to a mirror to hold 
them up this way and that, to “ see how they 
looked.” 

Her father watched her with much enjoy- 
ment. 

“ I’m glad that you can wear pretty clothes 
on occasion, at Triple X,” he said. “ I’m not 
much for dress myself — I even hate wearing 
a white shirt. The free and easy dress of 
mining life has spoiled me. I let myself off 
by saying that men don’t count in making the 
world beautiful by dress. It’s different with 
a girl. She’s made along with the flowers to 
brighten things up a bit.” 


62 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

“ That she is,” agreed Cousin Elizabeth. 

Jean looked helplessly at Cousin Rachel 
and then back at her pretty dresses. 

“ What shall I do ? ” she whispered. 

“ It isn’t too late to change your mind,” 
answered Cousin Rachel, sympathetically. 
“ Suppose you sleep over it.” 

Jean lay awake for a long time that night 
trying to make up her mind whether to keep 
her resolution to go to Triple X with clothes 
like Nan’s. When she finally went to sleep, 
she dreamed that all her dresses came out of 
the old-fashioned wardrobe and circled about 
her bed. Each dress delivered its sentiments 
and made her feel like a traitor. 

“ How I have served you ! ” exclaimed her 
pink organdie with its pretty lace fichu. 
“ How I’ve kept my color that I might please 
you and your friends, and now you are going 
to cast me off! ” 

“ And what good times you have had with 
me ! ” cried her embroidered mull. “ You 
know you could never have had such jolly 


Jean’s Decision 63 

fun if I hadn’t been along. Do you really 
expect to have a good time in plain 
dresses ? ” 

A very elegant but disapproving voice re- 
peated the question, “ A good time in plain 
dresses ? ” It was her silver gray dress that 
took up the query. “ Wasn’t it you who said 
to me over and over again, ‘ Oh, you dear 
pretty pussy-willow dress, — you always make 
me have a good time ! ’ ” 

“Are you going to cast us off too? ” The 
question came in a chorus from her shoes, 
which hopped out of their places at the bot- 
tom of the wardrobe and clambered upon the 
bed. Shoes, white, blue and gray, and slip- 
pers of all colors — together they danced upon 
the counterpane in high indignation. “ How- 
ever can you get along without us — Nimble- 
foot, Thistledown, Skip-in-Tune and all the 
rest of us ? ” 

How indeed ? Jean tossed in a nightmare 
of distress. Of course her dear little shoes to 
match her dresses would have to be put aside 


64 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

too — but how could she ever tell them ? 
Bravely she tried to speak and explain to 
them, but the words would not come. The 
little brigade of dainty shoes grew more and 
more impatient, and began walking over and 
over her. 

“ Tell us ! ” they shrieked. “ Tell us 
whether we are cast-offs too ! ” 

“ O-oh — please don’t walk so hard on my 
stomach,” wailed Jean, waking at that and 
sitting bolt upright in bed. 

She put out her hand softly and felt over 
the counterpane. It was hard to believe that 
Nimblefoot and the rest were not there. She 
crept out of bed and lighted her candle. The 
wardrobe door was a little ajar and she could 
see a ruffle of her organdie in the crack — for 
all the world, she thought, as if it had just 
whisked back in behind the rest. She opened 
the door and took a long look at her dresses 
and her little shoes to match. The shoes 
looked as usual — as if they were demurely 
awaiting their turn for her to take them out, 


Jean’s Decision 65 

— but it was easy to imagine that they had 
just settled into this attitude. Jean poked 
her Skip-in-Tune with her foot. 

“ You sly little things,” she whispered, 
“ you needn’t try to make believe like that. 
You know very well you were dancing every 
step you know up there on my counterpane a 
minute ago.” 

As the candlelight flickered upon her 
dresses and shoes, Jean thought that they 
had never looked so companionable. She 
wondered how it would seem to be without 
them. Would it be possible to have so good 
a time ? Would she be lonely ? She took a 
peep at her father’s gifts which were lying on 
the table. How beautiful the dresses would 
be when they were made ! She smoothed the 
soft folds and allowed herself to imagine just 
how the materials would look made in the 
charming styles she had seen in the new fall 
fashion pictures. She wanted these new 
dresses — oh, very much. It was going to be 
harder than she thought to give up her pretty 


66 A Little Princess of the Ranch 


things. As Cousin Rachel had said, it wasn’t 
too late to change her mind. 

“ But I’m going to give you up,” she ex- 
claimed softly, tiptoeing back to the wardrobe 
for a last glimpse. “ I’m going to give you 
up to make it easy for Nan and to see whether 
I can make friends without fine clothes.” 

She crept back into bed, her mind at 
rest. 

When she saw Nan again she had been 
poring over the school catalogue and she 
could talk of nothing except the pictures of 
Triple X, lying in the shelter of Wolf Creek 
Valley, with the mountains not far off, stand- 
ing guard. 

“ It must be a wonderful place,” Nan 
commented. “ Just think, I’ll get to see 
mountains. And the girls — aren’t they the 
happiest lot you ever saw in any pictures be- 
fore ? They have on clothes that look as if 
they cost a lot, but I don’t care so long as you 
wear dresses like mine. I s’pose I oughtn’t 
to think about that — but I reckon it’d be 


Jean’s Decision 67 

pretty hard if I should be the only one there 
in plain home-mades.” 

“ Our dresses aren’t ugly, even if they are 
plain and not stylish,” Jean said happily. 

Nan chattered on in gay conjecturing about 
the school which made Jean’s heart dance. 

“ I’ve made up my mind for good,” Jean 
announced to her family, “ and nothing can 
change it — I’m going to wear to Triple X the 
clothes that Cousin Rachel’s made for me.” 

Mr. Kingsley took Jean’s resolution as a 
joke. Neither he nor Cousin Elizabeth be- 
lieved that Jean would really do what she 
had resolved. Even Cousin Rachel’s faith in 
her seemed to waver somewhat as the time 
drew near for Jean to get ready to leave. 

“ It will be very hard for you when you 
find that the rest of the girls have brought 
their pretty dresses along. I suppose most of 
the girls go there for much the same reason 
we are sending you — because they need to 
have an out-of-door life while they are grow- 
ing so f^t — and it isn’t likely they leave be- 


68 A Little Princess of the Ranch 


hind their pretty things which they've en- 
joyed in other schools," Cousin Rachel said 
dubiously. “ Maybe you’ll change your mind 
after you get there and be sorry your trunk 
holds only those dresses I made for you." 

“ Wait and see," Jean answered, giving 
Cousin Rachel a resounding kiss, then trip- 
ping off to pack her trunk. 


CHAPTER V 


TRIPLE X 

In a few days Jean had to prove herself 
by donning for her traveling dress a plain 
home-made dress like Nan’s, a brown ulster 
and a hat simpler than any she had worn 
since she was a very little girl. She looked 
indeed like a little princess in disguise. 

“ I’m really happier dressed like this,” she 
said the last thing when she told Cousin 
Rachel and Cousin Elizabeth good-bye, “ and 
Father Dick says he likes me just as much, 
so it’s all right.” 

At the station she found Nan just climbing 
out of the family melon wagon, which she 
called her coach. She was all in a flutter 
over her baggage, which consisted of two big 
straw telescopes. 

“ They hold such a lot — one is stuffed half 
69 


70 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

full with newspapers/’ she explained to Jean. 
“ Is your trunk full ? ” 

“ Not so full as usual/’ Jean answered, 
laughing at Nan’s anxiety. “ We’ll not have 
to bother about having closets big enough to 
hold our things.” 

During the long trip Mr. Kingsley alluded 
not at all to Jean’s new guise, and she did not 
wish once for the clothes she had left behind. 
At the end of the journey, as the Triple X 
stage-coach drew up for them at the little 
railroad station at Ranchester, and Nan put 
her hand confidingly into hers, Jean felt that 
her sacrifice was well worth while. The stage- 
coach was almost full of chattering, merry 
girls who had arrived on other trains, and 
one glance at them was enough to show that 
they had not left their pretty clothes at home. 

“ Now, I must try to remember not to leave 
off my g’s,” Nan whispered. “ I know the 
right way to say things — I’ve found out by 
reading books and by listening to you — but 
it’s hard to remember to talk right myself, 


7 » 


Triple X 

because I learned the wrong way first, like 
the rest of the river folks.” Her hand trem- 
bled in Jean’s, and it was all she could do to 
get to her place in the coach. She stumbled 
over one of the girls and tore the edge of a 
rather elaborate traveling wrap. Nan stam- 
mered out her apology in great confusion. 
“ I’ll try to mend it for you if you can spare 
it long enough,” she said with burning cheeks. 

“ Spare it ! ” Jess Monroe answered, laugh- 
ing. “ Of course I can — I’ve got all kinds of 
wraps in my trunk — but you needn’t bother 
about mending it.” 

Jess stared at Nan and Jean, surveyed their 
plain home-made clothes and nudging her 
companion, Helen Barton, whispered some- 
thing at which they both giggled behind their 
handkerchiefs. 

“ Girls,” called Jess Monroe to those in the 
next seat, “ C. T.” 

“ What’s ‘ C. T.’ ? ” queried Nan of Jean in 
an undertone. 

“ They’re saying something in initials. 


72 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

Schoolgirls do that a lot. Those letters stand 
for something.” 

“ It's something about us,” Nan declared, 
somewhat resentfully; “I just know it. I 
don’t think they’re a bit polite.” 

“There are sure to be some that aren’t 
polite to country folks,” Jean answered, 
highly amused. “ Maybe that’s what the 
C stands for — but what is the T ? ” 

They were puzzling over this when the 
driver cracked his whip and the stage-coach 
rolled off down the road. Some of the girls 
who wore Triple X pins began to tell all the 
newcomers about the joys of the school. 

“ There’s a horse for every one in the 
corral,” said Helen, “ and a cowboy saddle, 
blanket and bridle in the saddle-room. We 
ride early in the morning before lessons and 
in the afternoon, if we’d rather do that than 
boat or fish in Wolf Creek. Wolf Creek runs 
for three miles right through the ranch, and 
it’s just full of trout. We take turns catch- 
ing enough for meals. On Saturdays we take 


73 


Triple X 

all-day trips to Tongue River, Big Goose and 
Soldier Creeks along the canon trail. The 
ranch is six thousand acres big, right next to 
the Big Horn National Forest, so you see it 
takes a long time to get acquainted with every 
corner of it.” 

“ Yes, and sometimes we go for riding trips 
and stay two or three days. Last year we 
went to the old cow town of Buffalo,” added 
Helen Barton. “ We’re going this fall to a lot 
of new places — maybe to see where the Fetter- 
man Massacre, and the Wagon Box Fight took 
place.” 

“ Ugh, that sounds dreadful — I don’t be-, 
lieve I want to go,” remarked another new- 
comer, Louise Tyler, who said that she was 
going to Triple X to get strong enough to “ do 
things like other girls.” 

“ Oh, you don’t see anything horrid at all — 
unless you shut your eyes and imagine things 
while the guide tells all about the bloody 
scalps.” 

“ But what do you do in winter ?” asked 


74 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

Louise. “ Isn’t it dreadfully lonely at Triple 
X — so far away from everything ? ” 

“ Not a bit — we make what Mummy Rich- 
ards calls home-made color. Everything is 
bright and lively all the time. We ride 
all winter — it doesn’t get too cold ; then 
we skate on Wolf Creek and ski when it 
snows enough. There’s always so much to 
do we don’t get half done. We have 
dances and all sorts of gay times indoors. 
Besides, we have to study — but it’s in such 
a pleasant way we like it as much as the 
play.” 

All the newcomers began to ask questions 
and both Jean and Nan forgot their dresses 
looked so different from the rest and joined in 
the general chorus of interrogation. By the 
time the stage-coach reached Triple X the 
girls had gleaned minute details about the 
place, but none of the word pictures were 
half vivid enough to describe adequately the 
beauty of the scenes which stretched before 
them when they came to a point where moun- 


Triple X 75 

tains, valley, plains and mesa united to make 
a wonderful panorama. 

“Oh, it looks like the pictures of frontier 
settlements,” Jean exclaimed as they caught 
sight of the Triple X ranch houses, lying in 
snug seclusion in the valley. “ All except 
the biggest house.” 

“ What are all the little cabins in a row ? ” 
Nan asked, leaning out as far as she could to 
see better. 

“ Those are our rooms,” answered Jess, who 
enjoyed giving information ; “ but we aren’t 
in them much, except to sleep.” 

“ They look a good deal like the cabin I 
live in on the Illinois River,” commented 
Nan, “ only our house is lots more weather- 
beaten.” 

The girls stared at Nan as if wondering 
whether she were in earnest or not. 

“ Really ? ” questioned Louise curiously. 

“ Why, yes,” answered Nan, unconscious of 
the effect of her speech. 

“ Oh, you mean it's the place you live in 


76 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

when you camp out,” Jess said in the tone of 
one suddenly enlightened. 

“Camp out?” exclaimed Nan. “No, we 
live there — we’re river folks.” 

“ Oh,” vouchsafed Jess, giving her a queer 
look which included Jean, then turning away 
to talk to some one else. 

“ What’s the matter ? ” whispered Nan to 
Jean. “ What makes her act like that ? ” 

“ Don’t bother,” Jean replied softly, so no 
one would hear. “ I guess she just forgot that 
presidents have been born in log cabins.” 

Nan’s face brightened again and she be- 
came engrossed in the scenery. 

“ Who is that by the gate ? ” asked 
Louise. “ I never saw such a tall man in 
my life.” 

“ That’s Daddy Richards,” Helen replied, 
excitedly waving her handkerchief. “ Triple 
X belongs to him, you know. He and 
Mummy Richards take care of us. Their 
little girl Betty had to live out-of-doors, so 
they started their ranch school so she could 


Triple X 77 

stay at home and study too. That’s how 
Triple X school happened to be.” 

“ Daddy Richards ! Daddy Richards ! 
Three cheers for Daddy Richards ! ” The old 
girls started the shout and the new ones chimed 
in very heartily. 

“ And hurrah for the deer — bless them, 
they’re still there,” cried Jess as she caught 
sight of three pet deer browsing about the 
lawn. 

Daddy Richards’ face broke into a smile 
which made a thousand fine little lines crinkle 
about his eyes and mouth. He came out to 
help the girls out of the stage-coach, and as 
he lifted them, he swung them high into the 
air before he let them touch the ground. 

Jean gave a little scream of delight not un- 
mixed with fear, which made Daddy Richards 
laugh and swing her a bit higher. 

“ Are you twins ? ” he questioned, as he 
held out his arms for Nan. 

“ No,” she answered, “ we’re not ; I wish 


we were. 


78 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

“ I see now that you don’t look a bit alike,” 
he said. “ It was your clothes that made me 
think at first glance that you might be twins.” 

Some of the girls began to giggle at this 
and it flashed over Jean that the letters 
“ C. T.” had stood for “ country twins.” 

“ Country Twins is just the right name for 
us,” she said, turning to the girls. 

“Did you ever?” gasped Jess, quite dis- 
armed. “How did you guess it? I’m glad 
you don’t mind — we didn’t mean to be horrid.” 

“ Of course you didn’t,” Jean answered 
without resentment. “ We don’t care, do we, 
Nan ? ” 

“It sounds as if we’re just alike, and we’re 
not,” Nan replied, non-committally. 

Jess linked her arm in Jean’s, while Helen 
saw to it that Nan was properly escorted to 
the house, where Mummy Richards and Betty 
stood in the door waving their handkerchiefs 
in welcome. 

“ Welcome to Triple X,” cried Mummy 
Richards, kissing them every one. She hur- 


ried the girls inside to the inviting tea table 
which was ready in the great living-room. 

“ I knew you would all be too hungry to 
wait until meal time,” said Mummy Richards, 
“ so a sip of tea is ready for you or a glass of 
milk, and all the gingerbread you want.” 

The girls ensconced themselves upon the 
big settee and kept Mummy Richards busy 
pouring tea and answering questions. 

Jean and Nan sat contentedly listening 
and looking about at the huge room with the 
rough-hewn beams, the array of deer’s antlers, 
Indian baskets, the serape rugs and the big 
stone fireplace which occupied most of one 
end of the room. 

“It doesn’t look much like a regular 
school,” Jean said to Nan. 

“ I don’t believe any school could be nicer 
than this,” Nan commented decisively. “ I 
just love it already.” 

“ Where are the class rooms and the teach- 
ers?” wondered Jean, peering out the open 
doors. 


80 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

Her curiosity was not satisfied soon, for all 
their time was taken up after their arrival 
until supper by unpacking and getting settled 
in their cabin bedrooms. 

Mummy Richards made a tour of inspec- 
tion later and praised very warmly the simple 
wardrobes which Jean and Nan were unpack- 
ing. 

“ You have brought sensible clothes for 
Triple X. I wish all the girls would wear 
such things. We don’t make any hard and 
fast rules about clothes. We like to have 
the girls find out by themselves what’s best 
concerning their dress and everything else 
possible. We want them to feel free and 
happy. If the girls prefer to wear tailor- 
made suits for out-of-doors, as some of them 
do at first instead of simple clothes like yours, 
there is nothing to prevent their doing it. 
Indoors they dress as they like, too ; but it 
would be better if they all chose clothes like 
yours for Triple X ; I hope they’ll see it 
themselves in time.” 


8i 


Triple X 

Jean and Nan felt very comfortable after 
Mummy Richards had talked to them and 
that night when she tucked them into bed 
they felt as if they had always known her. 
They went to sleep speculating upon the next 
day’s revelations — what the other girls and 
the teachers who were coming would be like, 
and how all the rest of Triple X which they 
hadn’t seen would look. 

It seemed to Jean that she had been asleep 
a long time when she was awakened by the 
moonlight shining across her bed. She whis- 
pered to Nan who was snugly asleep in her 
own bed across the room. 

“ Nan,” she called, “ do let’s get up and 
look out the window at the moonlight.” 

Nan stirred sleepily but when once awake, 
she jumped out of bed with alacrity. They 
wrapped themselves in their blankets, for the 
early autumn night was cool, and stood for a 
long time looking out at the bit of Triple X 
ranch which they could see from the window. 
The trails leading to the ranch lay silver 


82 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

white in the moonlight. Not far away the 
Big Horn Mountains loomed in purple black- 
ness. They could hear Wolf Creek as it 
flowed along past the very dooryard of Triple 
X. The wind brought to them the fresh smell 
of the pines in the gorge and the spicy 
fragrance of grasses. The girls were very 
still as they leaned out their window and 
gazed enchanted at the ranch scenes. 

Suddenly they heard a rustle close at hand, 
followed by a sharp little sound, not quite a 
squeal, yet not a bark. 

“What’s that?” breathed Jean. “Where 
did the noise come from ? ” 

“ It’s right under our window, I believe,” 
Nan answered. 

The girls leaned out farther and in the 
moonlight they could discern near by some- 
thing which looked like a big cage. 

“ Oh, it’s a cage — whatever can be in it, do 
you suppose, Nan ? ” Jean cried. 

“ Let’s go out and see,” suggested Nan 
promptly. 


Triple X 83 

They dressed themselves hastily and crept 
out-of-doors very quietly. 

“ Squirrels/’ whispered Nan, peering at the 
furry creatures inside. 

“ No, they’re too little for that,” Jean 
answered as she poked the cage to make the 
animals stir. “ Oh, I can see now — they’re 
chipmunks ! The darling little things — shut 
up in a cage when they love so to jump and 
climb about.” 

“ We’ll let ’em out,” said Nan in great 
readiness to save the chipmunks from im- 
prisonment, “so they can live where they 
belong.” 

“ Let’s,” responded Jean, promptly opening 
the cage door. “ It’s wicked to keep wild 
things caged like this.” 

Out popped a little striped chipmunk which 
ran up on Jean’s shoulder as tamely as if it 
had never known the wild. Then another 
ventured forth and another — until six of the 
little creatures had clambered out of the cage. 

“ Look at the little stripes on them — they 


\ 


84 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

show as plainly as can be in the moonlight. 
Don’t you think they have pretty clothes ? ” 
said Jean, stroking one which was investigat- 
ing her pockets. “ I believe if I could choose 
I’d have chipmunk clothes — for they always 
look neat and brushed no matter how hard they 
romp. It would be fun to have a made-for- 
ever dress like theirs so I’d never have to 
think of a spot or a tear.” 

“ I believe I’d rather have clothes like an 
elephant. An elephant’s always so comfort- 
able because his clothes are never put on 
tight,” Nan speculated, “ or a turtle — it has 
an armor suit so it can do ’most anything 
without being afraid.” 

“ How would a butterfly’s dress be ? It 
doesn’t have to behave though it stays dressed 
up gorgeously all the time.” 

“ You’re wishing for your pretty clothes,” 
said Nan with sorrow in her voice. “ You’re 
wishing that you weren’t playing at being a 
princess in disguise.” 

“No, I’m not — truly I’m not,” asserted Jean 


Triple X 85 

truthfully. “ I wouldn’t be wearing butterfly 
clothes at Triple X for anything.” 

“ It was so hard for me not to tell the girls 
to-day when they were looking at our clothes 
and giggling that you could have better 
dresses even that those they were wearing if 
you just wanted them. It doesn’t matter 
about me, Jean. I can stand it — I can stand 
anything so long as I can learn things, but I 
can’t bear to have you put up with it when 
you don’t have to. I must tell those girls.” 

“ Oh, Nan, — promise me you’ll never tell,” 
begged Jean anxiously. 

“ But what’s the use of your standing things 
like that when there’s no need of it ? ” 

“ Don’t forget that there’s always a funny 
side to such things, Nan. Are you losing 
your sense of humor?” Jean shook Nan 
playfully. “ And are you going to rob me of 
all the fun of playing at being a princess in 
disguise ? Please promise me not to tell.” 

“ Well,” reluctantly yielded Nan, “ I’ll 
promise if you really want me to.” 


86 


A Little Princess of the Ranch 


As Jean put out her hand to pat Nan’s 
gratefully, the little chipmunk on her 
shoulder darted away. 

“They’re all running away — they’re just as 
glad as can be to get out, and do as they 
please,” Jean exclaimed. “ I’m so glad we 
set them free.” 

With the feeling of having done the chip- 
munks a good turn the girls slipped back into 
their cabin. 

“ I’ve never been in a bed before that felt 
so nice and cuddly as this one,” Jean said as 
they snuggled back to sleep. 


CHAPTER VI 


FACING COURT 

“What in the world is that ? ” cried Nan, 
sitting bolt upright in her bed next morning. 

“ Some one singing,” answered Jean, who 
was wider awake. “ It sounds like Daddy 
Richards.” 

Daddy Richards it was — starting a song to 
the morning. In a few moments, they heard 
another voice join in — a little sleepily at 
first, then stronger, with a blitheness which 
suggested that the singer was glad to awaken 
to the new day. Then came another — and 
still another voice — until from the open 
windows of the cabins rang the chorus of all 
the girls’ voices. 

“ Oh, what a nice alarm clock ! ” exclaimed 
Nan, clapping her hands softly as the spon- 
taneous happy melody grew and grew in 
volume. 


87 


88 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

“ 1 just have to sing too/’ cried Jean. 

“ And so do I — somehow the way they all 
sing makes a body want to help. But we 
don’t know the words.” 

“ We’ll learn them. Listen hard.” 

Sitting up in their beds, the two girls 
joined in the song mostly singing “ la-la ” but 
catching a word here and there and wedging 
it in hastily. 

“ It’s fun to sing like that,” commented 
Nan, as the song ended. “ Just as loud as 
you can, because there’s going to be another 
day.” 

Mingled suddenly with the gay sounds of 
the girls’ laughter and morning greetings 
called from cabin to cabin was a burst of un- 
intelligible Chinese near their window. Nan 
peered out and announced that it was Ho 
Chung, the cook, raging beside the open door 
of the chipmunk cage. 

“ He has a dish of nuts in his hand,” she 
whispered. “ The chipmunks were his pets, 
I do believe.” 


Facing Court 89 

“ Oh, what shall we do ? What will happen 
to us ? ” cried Jean, as she joined Nan at the 
window and saw for herself the expression 
of mingled anger and grief upon Ho Chung’s 
face. 

“ We’ll have to ’fess up — and he’ll not give 
us anything to eat,” giggled Nan. 

“ It’ll serve us right for meddling with 
what didn’t belong to us, I suppose,” com- 
mented Jean dolefully. “ We must get 
dressed as fast as we can and go tell Mummy 
Richards.” 

As they came out of their cabin, they met 
Jess Monroe and Helen Barton dancing down 
the path to “ the big house.” 

“ How did you like our Sunrise Song ? ” 
asked Jess by way of greeting. 

“ It was so pretty I’d like to be waked up 
that way every morning,” replied Jean. 

“ You will be, for it’s a custom here at 
Triple X,” explained Helen. “ Daddy Rich- 
ards told us that the Spanish-American 
Catholics, in the early days out here in the 


A Little Princess of the Ranch 

West, used to sing a sort of invocation to the 
dawn, and he thought it was a good idea to 
start the day like that — singing something 
happy, so we tried it. We liked it so much 
we never use the old rising bell any more. 
Daddy Richards gets up first and goes out-of- 
doors to start the waking-up song, and just 
as soon as we hear we sit up in bed and join 
in.” 

“ Why didn't you tell us about it last 
night? ” asked Nan. 

“ Oh, it’s just one of the many surprises we 
keep for the new girls. It will be a long time 
before you come to the end of surprises at 
Triple X. It isn't like any school you ever 
heard of — that's what makes it so nice.” 

From all sides the girls came trooping into 
the dining-room, eager for Ho Chung's de- 
licious breakfast cakes. 

“ Ho Chung uses honey instead of sugar in 
his cooking — that's what makes his cakes so 
good,” explained Betty Richards, careful that 
Jean's and Nan's plates were well filled. 


Facing Court 91 

Jean and Nan eyed Ho Chung narrowly as 
he flopped about in a great hurry. 

“ His face looks all screwed up,” com- 
mented Jean. 

“ I feel horrid eating his cakes when he 
doesn't know what we did,” whispered Nan, 
“ but I can't help taking more when he offers 
them.” 

As soon as breakfast was over they sought 
Mummy Richards. 

“ You will have to put the case before the 
judge,” Mummy Richards said, when the 
girls told her what they had done. 

“ The judge ? ” shivered Jean. “ That makes 
me feel like a criminal.” 

“ Who is the judge?” questioned Nan, fal- 
teringly. “ Is he very terrible ? ” 

“ Wait and see,” replied Mummy Richards, 
enigmatically. “ As soon as you have your 
breakfast we will take you to the hall of jus- 
tice.” 

This sounded more ominous than ever, and 
it was with fear and trembling that Jean and 


92 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

Nan followed Mummy Richards out of the 
dining-room. She took them to a log cabin 
which looked decidedly venerable beside the 
others. The door was ajar, and they could 
hear from within the sprightly whistling of 
no tune in particular, but very appealing 
music nevertheless. 

“ Judge Boone is happy this morning,” 
commented Mummy Richards. “ Now good- 
bye — I’ll leave you to him.” She took them 
inside, and without even introducing them to 
the judge she left the two trembling girls to 
their fate. 

“ Good-morning, good-morning,” said the 
judge cordially, emerging from the corner 
and peering at them for a moment from un- 
der his bushy eyebrows. “ Just look around 
for a few minutes and get acquainted with 
the place while I finish mending Mummy 
Richards’ flower-stand, then I’ll be ready to 
talk with you.” 

They looked after his tall, lank figure and 
noted that it was clad in rough corduroy in- 


Facing Court 93 

stead of flowing robes such as they had seen 
dignifying all judges in pictures. Certainly 
there was nothing in his personality to sug- 
gest his official title, and the cabin itself pre- 
sented the appearance of a workshop rather 
than a hall of justice. All sorts of half- 
mended articles cluttered the place, — shoes 
hanging by the windows, a broken-legged 
table in the middle of the floor, baskets, 
kitchen utensils, rugs and picture frames 
heaped in the corners. 

“ Make yourself at home,” called Judge 
Boone over his shoulder, as he worked busily 
in the corner. “ Sit down, if you like, any- 
where that looks comfortable.” 

Jean and Nan looked about in vain for a 
place to sit down, and they were still stand- 
ing, first on one foot and then the other, 
nervously dreading the ordeal of cross exami- 
nation, when he turned around again. 

“ Well, I'm ready now,” he announced, 
looking at them with eyes that seemed to 
pierce their very souls. 


94 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

“ We — we’ve come to ” stammered Jean, 

in response to the furtive pokes which Nan 
gave her by way of prodding her on to do the 
talking. 

“ to see the kittens, of course,” he said, 

promptly, finishing the sentence for them. 
“ Here they are in the corner. I must make 
their bed over so’s they’ll be nice and com- 
fortable for the day. Do you want to help ? 
Now, did you ever see such kittens as these ? ” 

He lifted out of the box one of the little 
kittens by its neck, and the girls gave a sim- 
ultaneous exclamation of delight, forgetting 
for the moment what they had come for. 

“ Oh, the dear puffy little gray thing,” 
cried Jean, running forward to take it in her 
arms. 

“ You want to hold one too, don’t you ? ” 
asked the judge of Nan, whose hands went 
out instantly to receive another of the little 
gray kittens. 

“There are two more just like those and 
one black one,” he continued, giving the girls 


95 


Facing Court 

a peep into the box. “ Now we’ll make the 
bed, and when that’s done we’ll have to hunt 
up names for them. It’s a good thing you’ve 
come to help me out. The matter’s dragged 
on too long already — the kittens are two days 
old and not one of them named yet.” 

Jean and Nan helped so energetically with 
the making of the kittens’ bed that the 
judge allowed them to do it almost all them- 
selves. 

“ Now what shall we name this one ? ” One 
by one he lifted the kittens and deliberated 
over names. 

“ How can you ever tell the gray ones 
apart? ” asked Nan. “ They all look alike.” 

“ That’s simple, — we’ll put a different col- 
ored ribbon around the neck of each one,” he 
replied, taking out some bits of ribbon from a 
half-opened drawer which seemed to contain 
odds and ends of everything. 

Each little kitten was duly named and be- 
decked with its ribbon, then put back into its 
bed for another nap. 


96 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

“ They'll sleep better now that they're 
named. It's been worrying me — what to 
name the little things. I’m glad the job's 
done — now I can go on with the twenty-nine 
other things I’ve got to do to-day." 

He picked up a broken chair and began to 
measure a new back for it. 

“ We’ve come to " began Jean again, re- 

called to the reason of their visit. 

The mother cat interrupted her by jumping 
up on top of the chair and putting a pro- 
testing paw upon the judge's arm. 

“Now, did you ever?" cried the judge. 
“ She wants her breakfast, and she's not going 
to let me work until I get it for her." 

Up he jumped and hurried about getting 
her milk for her. 

“ She knew Ho Chung had brought her 
breakfast for her — she knew it was waiting 
for her, but she never would have tried to get 
it for herself. There never was a cat like 
her," he went on, resuming his seat. 

“Mrs. Richards sent us to " said Nan 


Facing Court 97 

desperately, trying to help Jean out and get 
their ordeal over with. 

“ I know before you tell me — to see what 
you think of my shop. The new girls always 
come here the first thing when they come to 
Triple X. It looks like a curiosity shop, 
doesn't it? I have a little of everything 
poked away in here. You see, we live so far 
away from the railroad that some one has to 
do the mending for the place, and that's what 
I do, when I'm not working around out-of- 
doors, and helping the girls learn something 
about history. 

“ I can patch up anything from an old shoe 
to a quarrel or trouble of any kind. When- 
ever you get into trouble just come to me and 
I'll make everything all right. This may not 
look like a law office, but it is. I may not 
look like a judge, but I am — used to practice 
law in San Francisco, then I had to turn cow- 
boy for my health so I could live out-of-doors, 
and I landed at Triple X. I've been a good 
while getting quite strong again, and I can’t 


98 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

live my old life in the city for a long time 
yet, because it keeps me indoors too much. 
I don't care a straw, for I've lost all my 
hankering after paved streets and street cars 
and noise. I don't care how long I have to 
put off going back. Wolf Valley has come 
to mean more to me than any other place on 
earth. After you've been here for a while, 
you'll understand why. I never expect to 
find a finer playground than this one, and I 
have enough to do with straightening out the 
little troubles of Triple X to keep me from 
quite forgetting all the law I know. I sup- 
pose it will not be long before I'll have to be 
passing sentence on some of the new girls’ 
pranks. Now don't you two get into trouble 
the very first thing, as the girls usually do.” 

“ We're in trouble already,” burst out Jean, 
much ashamed, but in great relief that the 
truth was out. 

“ Oh, ho,” exclaimed the judge, quizzically. 
“ You're the ones that let Ho Chung's chip- 
munks out of their cage.” 


99 


Facing Court 

Both the girls gasped. 

“ How ever did you know ? " cried Jean. 

“ The complaining witness in the case has 
been here before you — Ho Chung told me 
about it when he brought the cats' breakfast. 
Well, now, I must get my jury right away be- 
fore they go to work, so we can try the case 
right off." 

The judge snatched up his cap and hurried 
briskly to the door. 

“ Play with the kittens till I get back," he 
called back to them. 

The door closed with a little bang. Nan 
and Jean looked at each other in consterna- 
tion. 

“A jury ” murmured Jean faintly. 

“Do you know what a jury is, Nan?" 

“ A lot of men that decide whether people 
have done right or wrong," answered Nan 
promptly. " We'll have to tell all about 
what we've done." 

They regarded each other gloomily. The 
cabin that before had looked like just a snug 


ioo A Little Princess of the Ranch 


and interesting place to play in now took on 
a sudden aspect which was strange and threat- 
ening. Over their heads an empty bird cage 
with a broken door seemed to leer at them in 
mocking fashion ; the very shadows in the 
corners appeared to be jumping forward men- 
acingly. 

“ I hope the judge will not be gone long,” 
Jean said, shivering a little as the sun went 
under a cloud and for a moment robbed the 
room of the morning’s glow. 

“ So do I,” responded Nan. “ I want to 
know what’s going to happen to us and have 
it over with.” 

The tramping of many feet soon heralded 
the judge’s return with his jury. The door 
swung open, and Jean and Nan were startled 
at the sight of twelve cowboys who walked 
into the cabin with a great clanking of spurs 
and amid much laughter seated themselves on 
the empty kegs and boxes apparently without 
seeing the two culprits who crept as far as 
they could back into the corner. 


Facing Court 101 

“ Look at their lariats,” whispered Nan, so 
interested in looking at the picturesque jury 
that for a few moments she forgot to be 
afraid of them. “ And their sombreros that 
look as if they’d worn them forever.” 

Hardly had the cowboys seated themselves 
when in trooped the girls — all those Nan and 
Jean had seen before, together with many new 
ones who had evidently just arrived. The 
little cabin seemed bursting with girls — they 
occupied every available seat — some even 
clambered to exalted seats upon the long 
shelves which held unmended baskets. 

“ How jolly to have a trial the very first 
day I ” said Jess in passing to Jean. 

If the occasion afforded sport to the merry 
assembly of girls, it had a very different effect 
upon Nan and Jean. Their dismay reached 
a climax when the judge rose and the whole 
room became suddenly so quiet that they 
could hear the rustle of the paper in Daddy 
Richards’ hands. 

The judge called first for the complaining 


102 A Little Princess of the Ranch 


witness, and Ho Chung came pattering for- 
ward excitedly to relate his version of the case. 

Nobody laughed in the least at Ho Chung's 
comical jumble of English and Chinese. The 
general solemnity made Jean’s knees shake 
so hard that when the judge called her name 
she could not for a moment get out of her 
seat in the corner. 

“ I ought to be first,” cried Nan impul- 
sively, jumping to her feet. “I was the one 
that thought first of lettin’ the chipmunks 
out.” 

Judge Boone gravely repeated Jean’s name 
and poor Nan sat down in great confusion, 
while Jean managed to rise and walk to her 
place before the judge. As she gave her ac- 
count of the last night’s adventure, she 
hardly recognized her own voice — far-off, 
very small and weak and faltering it came 
back to her like the utterance of a stranger. 
Not until Nan plunged into her narrative did 
Jean recover her self-possession. 

Nan’s cheeks grew redder and redder as 


Facing Court 103 

she talked, and she completely forgot her g’s. 
A smile tugged at the judge’s mouth when 
Nan unconsciously interspersed in her heated 
defense the quaint phrases of the “ river 
folks ” she had left behind. Incidentally she 
told what she thought about keeping captive 
any wild animals that were born to live out- 
of-doors. 

Following the statement of the case, there 
was a solemn pause, then the judge addressed 
the jury, charging them to remember the 
laws of Triple X rule and carefully to weigh 
the case before bringing in a decision. 

In impressive file the jury left the room 
and during their brief absence the girls spoke 
in subdued murmurs, directing speculating 
glances at Ho Chung and the two crestfallen 
defendants who hardly dared to lift their 
eyes. 

“Nan, I can hear my heart beat,” Jean 
whispered nervously. “ Do you think we’ll 
have to go to prison ? Do you suppose they 
have a ranch prison ? ” 


104 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

Nan shook her head gloomily as the door 
opened and the jury reentered. She gripped 
Jean’s hand harder as one of the men handed 
Daddy Richards a folded piece of paper. 
Daddy Richards gravely handed it to the 
judge, who read it to himself then handed 
it back to Daddy Richards. 

“ Gentlemen,” then said the judge, address- 
ing the cowboys, “you will listen to your 
verdict as recorded by the clerk of Triple X 
court.” 

Daddy Richards then unfolded the paper, 
which looked like a piece torn from a paper 
bag, and read the verdict : 

“ ‘ Triple X versus Jean Kingsley and Nan 
Sherman. 

“ ‘ We, the jury in the above entitled action, 
do find that the defendants did release Ho 
Chung’s chipmunks from their cage, but in 
so doing lacked any wrong intent and we 
therefore declare them innocent.’ ” 

A great cheer from the girls made the little 
cabin ring. Nan and Jean found themselves 
surrounded by a throng of excited girls. 


Facing Court 105 

“Hurrah for the Country Twins,” again 
and again the girls cried enthusiastically. 

To Nan and Jean the nickname sounded 
suddenly very sweet, like an inviting call of 
comradeship, and eagerly their hands went 
out to meet the clasp of new friends. 

“ Some of the girls didn’t come up to us 
afterward, did you notice?” asked Nan when 
she and Jean were alone together again. 
“They stood off in the corner and laughed 
at us.” 

“ Yes, I couldn't help noticing too,” an- 
swered Jean lightly. “ One was the girl they 
call Ann Scofield — a very rich girl from Cali- 
fornia. But never mind.” 

“I just believe she was sorry we got off,” 
asserted Nan hotly. 

“ How could she be sorry ? She doesn't 
know us at all.” 

“ Well, it was the way she tossed her head 
that made me think that.” 

“ See here, Nan, you mustn't pay any at- 
tention to things like that,” Jean said laugh- 


io6 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

ingly. “ Remember all the girls don’t act 
like Ann Scofield and the girls she has 
around her.” 

Nan’s face brightened as she gave Jean an 
impulsive hug, but there remained a ques- 
tioning look in her eyes. 

That night the girls went to Ho Chung, 
apologized and won his complete forgiveness. 


CHAPTER VII 


TRIPLE X SURPRISES 

It was an exciting morning for all the 
girls — that “ first day of school ” at Triple X. 
The girls who had been in the school the 
year before were busy finding out what was 
different in the school calendar and the new 
girls were in a perpetual state of wonder at 
the unusual arrangements. 

“ It’s not a bit like a regular school,” said 
Jess Monroe who was acting as self-appointed 
guide for Jean. “ But you learn heaps with- 
out realizing it at all. The living-room is our 
study hall. We haven’t any stiff school desks 
set in rows. You can choose any seat you 
like in the big living-room. We keep our 
books on the long shelves at the end of the 
room. When we want to write, we sit at the 
big tables.” 

Jean selected for her study seat a place by 
107 


io8 A Little Princess of the Ranch 


the window where she could hear Wolf Creek 
rushing along and see the silhouette of the 
big protecting hills to the east. When she 
looked about for Nan, Jean saw her sitting 
contentedly in a little straight sea-grass chair 
in the inglenook by the big fireplace where 
the gridiron rugs were brightest. 

As soon as every girl was settled in her 
study-seat, Mummy Richards brought out a 
fat book full of blank pages. 

“ This is our gift-book,” she explained. 
“ By means of this book each member of our 
big Triple X family may share the things 
which interest and help. You can always 
find the gift-book here on the table by the 
fireplace where you can get at it without any 
trouble at any time. There is no limitation 
in regard to what you put into the gift-book, 
except that, of its kind, each contribution 
must be worth while and mean something to 
the one who contributes it. If you hear a 
good funny story, take time to write it in the 
gift-book so we may all enjoy it. New games, 


Triple X Surprises 169 

quaint legends, original drawings and verses 
— all such things may help make up a de- 
lightful jumble. After one of you puts some- 
thing into the book, fasten the leaf to the last 
one used so you can keep your contribution 
safe from other eyes, until the gift-book hour 
on Saturday night when all the metal fast- 
eners will be removed and the week’s glean- 
ings of the whole family enjoyed together.” 

There was a great hand-clapping. 

“ Doesn’t Mummy Richards think of the 
jolliest things ? ” cried Nan, without realizing 
that she was “ talking in school.” 

Everybody laughed and clapped harder 
than ever. 

Just then a sandy head popped in at the 
door, and a brisk voice inquired : 

“ Are the young ladies ready to choose their 
flowers ? ” 

“ Yes, Dr. Hans,” answered Mummy Rich- 
ards. “ Come right in.” 

Dr. Hans came in bearing baskets heaped 
with bulbs and seeds and small plants. 


no A Little Princess of the Ranch 


“ Now, each girl may choose the flower 
in which she is most interested,” said Dr. 
Hans. “ Hyacinths, tulips, daffodils, roses — 
anything she wishes. Then she must set 
about to raise it. She must learn how to plant 
it properly, to care for it and to coax it into 
perfect bloom. While her plant is growing 
she must find out everything there is to know 
about it— learn the Greek myths, the songs, 
the stories, the poetry about it. Find out 
what part it plays in history and in painting. 
This will make you feel as if the flower be- 
longs to you for all time.” 

Then followed a busy choosing. Jean had a 
hard time deciding between the rose-plants 
and the pansy seed. She finally took the 
pansy seed because she could not forego the 
pleasure of fingering them and dreaming over 
the magic they held. Nan was fascinated by 
the bulbs and immediately chose narcissus. 

“ They look so fat and comfortable,” she 
said, explaining her choice. 

“ Now to the flower-room,” said Dr. Hans. 


Ill 


Triple X Surprises 

He led the way into a big room where the 
air was moist and sweet with the smell of 
growing things. While they planted their 
treasures, Dr. Hans told them wonderful sto- 
ries of plant life. Not until they were back 
in the study-room did they realize that they 
had had a botany lesson. 

Quite as hard it was at first for them 
to realize what connection there could be 
between English lessons and the wonderful 
sets of paper dolls which their instructor Miss 
Winton brought out to show to them. 

“ None of you is too old to play paper 
dolls,” she said, smiling at their bewildered 
faces. “ At least not in the way we are going 
to play with these. We are going to play 
paper doll dramas — that is, you are to decide 
upon a book in the reading requirement list 
which you want to 1 act out/ Then with the 
dolls as the make-believe actors, interpret the 
story. In this way those of you who think 
you could never act nor recite nor even read 
aloud will speak for your paper doll charac- 


112 A Little Princess of the Ranch 


ters without the least constraint — you will 
quite forget all about yourselves. This is the 
way to learn plots so you will never forget 
them and to bring out vividly the individual- 
ity of the various characters.” 

The girls greeted the dolls with shrieks of 
delight. Miss Patton, the art instructor, had 
made the wonderful creations. The Dickens 
dolls had an irresistible charm which made 
them the first choice of many of the girls. 
The knights and ladies of the Scott set were 
too fascinating to be passed by. And Lorna 
Doone, Henry Esmond, the ladies of Cran- 
ford, Rosalind, Portia — was there ever such a 
captivating company of paper dolls ? 

By way of learning how, Miss Winton sug- 
gested that they should play with the Alice- 
in-Wonderland dolls, since most of the girls 
could take the parts without any studying. 

“ I'll not object to reading everything on 
the English list if we can have such fun as 
this learning the stories,” declared Jess. “ I’ll 
not be lazy about my lessons any more.” 


Triple X Surprises 113 

After luncheon each girl was assigned some 
share in “ looking after Triple X.” 

“ Oh, let me feed the deer,” begged Jess. 

“ And I want to arrange the flowers,” cried 
Helen. 

All the rest of the girls who had been there 
the year before began to clamor for the tasks 
which they had grown to love. The new 
girls waited in silent excitement to learn 
what they were to do. Nan was delighted to 
learn that she could help gather the eggs for 
a while. Jean was assigned the duty of assist- 
ing Little Jim every day in counting the 
horses. 

Little Jim or “ Little Wrangler,” as he was 
more often called at Triple X, looked after 
the riding horses and kept them from stray- 
ing with the other horses of the ranch. Since 
he was seven years old, Little Jim had spent 
most of his waking hours in the saddle. This 
accounted for his bowed legs and curious 
rolling gait. His shrewd tanned face looked 
out from under a much battered sombrero 


ii4 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

which was always pulled down close to his 
twinkling eyes. Everybody liked him ‘and 
nobody ever doubted the ability of the little 
stunted wrangler to bring in the remuda . 1 

Jean was promptly at her post at sunset 
when Little Jim brought the horses in. It 
was a fine sight to see them swinging across 
the fields. They came neighing, whinnying, 
jostling one another in their eagerness to 
reach the big gates. Little Jim rode behind 
them, whooping constantly, calling lustily to 
the stragglers as his long rope descended 
upon them. 

“ Hi-zi — hi-zi, Beaut ! ” he called. “ Hey, 
you Star-face, git in. Mind your skin, Don 
— git along — git along ! ” 

There was something rhythmic and free 
about his call which seemed to Jean to fit in 
thrillingly with the bigness of Triple X. He 
introduced every horse to Jean by name and 
apparently knew at once without counting 
that none of them was missing. 

1 “Remuda 7J — The herd of horses on a ranch. 


Triple X Surprises 115 

“ I don’t see how you can tell them apart 
when so many of them look alike,” exclaimed 
Jean, “ and there doesn’t seem to be any need 
of my helping you count.” 

Little Jim laughed but shook his head. 

“ You kin never tell,” he assured her seri- 
ously. “ ’Tain’t so hard now when the 
weather’s fine, but I kin tell you ’tain’t so 
easy when the cold comes on and the snow 
blinds a feller and the horses all get skittish.” 

As soon as the horses were in, a little com- 
pany of the cowboys who worked about the 
ranch appeared to saddle them for the girls 
to ride. 

“ Oh, I hope I may have Star-face,” cried 
Jean, breathlessly, as Daddy Richards led the 
horses one by one to the excited girls stand- 
ing ready in their riding habits upon the 
steps of the ranch house. 

“ The new girls first,” he said, handing 
Beaut’s bridle to Nan. 

Nan sprang into the saddle with a little 
shriek. She had ridden so many different 


n6 A Little Princess of the Ranch 


kinds of the neighbors’ horses at her river 
home that she felt no fear of the beautiful 
high-spirited animal that Daddy Richards 
had given her to manage. Daddy Richards 
watched her for a moment and nodded his 
approval. 

“ Beaut is all right in your hands/’ he said. 

When Little Wrangler brought up Star- 
face he had a word aside with Daddy Rich- 
ards which made Jean’s wish come true. 
Happily Jean cantered off, mounted upon 
Star-face, the little bay horse with a white 
star on his forehead which had captivated 
her at first sight. In a flash she had caught 
up with Nan and the two girls rode off to- 
gether in fine form. 

“ Look at the Country Twins ride,” cried 
admiring voices after them but they were too 
far head to hear. 

“ Are all schools as nice as this ? ” ques- 
tioned Nan breathlessly as they came in from 
their fine ride over the hills. 

“ There isn’t any school in the world so 


Triple X Surprises 117 

nice as this one,” declared Helen Barton, 
waving her riding crop and leading a cheer 
for Triple X. 

“ Now for a plunge before dinner,” cried 
Betty, leading the way to the big swimming 
pool. 


CHAPTER VIII 


DOVETAILING 

“ Where shall we keep our hair ribbons ? ” 
speculated Jean, as she and Nan finished un- 
packing odds and ends the next morning. 
“ I think the top drawer would be the best 
place for them.” 

“ Oh, no,” protested Nan. “ Let’s hang 
them out where we can see them. That’ll be 
ever so much better, because we can look at 
them while we’re in bed and decide which to 
wear.” 

“ They’d get dusty,” objected Jean. 

“ Oh, we could keep our room so clean that 
there wouldn’t be any dust.” 

So the trouble over the hair, ribbons began. 
The outcome of it was that Jean and Nan left 
their cabin separately and went to breakfast 
with dark looks in their eyes. 

118 


Dovetailing 119 

" You look about as much like a thunder 
cloud as Helen,” remarked Jess Monroe as 
Jean seated herself. “ Helen is all out of sorts 
because I wanted to put my bandboxes under 
the bed, instead of way up on the shelf in the 
closet where it’s so hard to get at things. I 
don't see what makes Helen so unreasonable.” 

Jean looked across at Helen, who was 
chatting with Nan. Nan looked very sym- 
pathetic indeed. All around the table 
animated conversations were going on. The 
air was full of second day disturbances. 
Roommates who were not bearing a grievance 
against each other were the exception. 

Mummy Richards looked about with 
amusement. The bits of conversation which 
reached her gave her all the clue that she 
needed to the situation. She was quite pre- 
pared after breakfast for the general flocking 
to her armchair in the living-room. 

“ I think before we commence the regular 
work we need a lesson in dovetailing,” she 
said decisively. “ Come with me.” 


120 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

When she led the way to J udge Boone’s mend- 
ing shop the girls were all fearful lest this 
strange lesson, whatever it was, might involve 
a trial such as Nan and Jean had undergone 
the first day. Trials were fun to witness — but 
taking part in them gave altogether a different 
sensation. Their fears on this point were 
dispelled, however, very soon. 

Judge Boone was busy making a desk. 
Mummy Richards had a word with him, and 
he waved the girls to a circle about his work- 
bench. 

“ Keep an eye upon what I’m doing,” he 
said, going back to his work and apparently 
forgetting the bright-eyed spectators who were 
regarding him in such mystified fashion. 

Absorbedly they watched him lay out two 
pieces of wood, then measure and mark one 
by the other. He sawed down the sides with 
precision and chiseled out the spaces. 

“ Dovetailing,” he explained, finally glanc- 
ing up. 

Very carefully he proceeded to make the 


Dovetailing 121 

wood smooth, gauging each dovetail to fit 
exactly the space made for it. He asked the 
girls in turn to “ lend a hand,” guiding their 
awkward hands to use the plane and chisel 
and sandpaper properly. At last the two 
pieces were fitted together into a perfect dove- 
tailed joint. 

“ If everybody understood dovetailing, 
people wouldn't have any trouble getting 
along together,” he observed significantly. 

The girls still looked puzzled. Suddenly 
Nan's eyes flashed with enlightenment. 

“ Oh, you don’t mean the kind of dovetail- 
ing that's done with tools, do you, Judge 
Boone?” she ventured. 

“ Not with tools like these — no,” he replied, 
touching his saw and chisel and plane, “ but 
the tools people have to use if they get along 
right and really enjoy one another. The 
great trouble is, most people are too selfish to 
smooth off the rough corners and to chisel out 
the I's. They don't try to fit — and there's no 
excuse for a person's not fitting in just any- 


122 A Little Princess of the Ranch 


where. You set to studying it out, each of 
you. Try dovetailing for just one day, and 
tell me to-morrow what kind of tools you’ve 
had to use.” 

The girls laughed somewhat shamefacedly 
as they began to understand what the dove- 
tailing lesson meant. Jean felt the impulse 
to go to Nan at once and tell her that she 
could put the hair ribbons wherever she chose. 

The girls were leaving the shop, and Jean 
caught sight of a blue wool dress near the 
door. She started forward, just as Mummy 
Richards touched her on the arm. 

“Jean, will you go to the kitchen porch 
and entertain Mrs. Ruggles until I can find 
time to talk to her ? ” requested Mrs. Richards. 
“Mrs. Ruggles lives on one of the neighboring 
ranches, and she has brought over some fresh 
marmalade for us.” 

“ Mummy Richards ! ” exclaimed Jean in 
consternation. “ Whatever can I talk to her 
about ? ” 

“ You seem to find plenty to say when you 


Dovetailing 123 

are chattering with the girls,” said Mummy 
Richards quizzically. 

“ Yes, but ” Jean did not finish her 

sentence. Something about the smile which 
Mummy Richards gave her sent Jean hurry- 
ing to the kitchen porch. 

When she saw Mrs. Ruggles, her heart sank 
in dismay. She recalled what Judge Boone 
had said about “ fitting in just anywhere.” 
But what could she talk about to this queer 
little old woman ? 

Mrs. Ruggles answered Jean's greeting but 
she seemed to have no wish to talk. She took 
her knitting out of her pocket, and began to 
work with amazing swiftness, never once 
glancing at her needles. As she sat gazing 
at the hills, Jean could not resist watching 
her — quaint soul that she was, with her 
turned-up skirt, her little sprigged shawl 
folded primly across her shoulders, and her 
faded blue bonnet pushed well back from her 
kind strong face lined with myriads of fine 
wrinkles. 


124 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

Jean realized that she needed some kind 
of tool to make her “ fit in ” with Mrs. Ruggles 
— what was it? Before she had stumbled 
along many minutes in conversation with 
the visitor she realized what she lacked — 
sympathy with interests foreign to her own 
little world in which just now Star-face, 
freshly planted pansy seeds, fascinating Dick- 
ens dolls, and hair ribbons were the absorbing 
things of interest. What could she find to 
say about the things in Mrs. Ruggles' world ? 

After a while Mrs. Ruggles patted her on 
the arm and said, “ There, there — don’t try 
any more to talk to an old woman like 
me,” and Jean, keenly smarting from the 
gentle rebuke, sat dejectedly upon the steps, 
overcome completely by “ the imp of dumb- 
ness.” 

Thus Mummy Richards found them — Mrs. 
Ruggles knitting contentedly, looking off at 
the hills, and Jean sitting miserably on the 
porch-step, cuddling her knees. Mummy 
Richards gave Jean a little pat on her head 


Dovetailing 125 

and told her to go to the study-room. Jean 
walked away feeling more humiliated than 
ever before in her life. 

It was easy enough to adjust the trouble 
about the hair ribbons with Nan, who was 
just as eager as Jean herself to “ smooth off 
the edges," but the failure with Mrs. Ruggles 
— nothing could undo that ; and, worse fact — 
the same thing might happen again with all 
sorts of people. Jean realized that the tool 
she lacked could not be here all in a minute. 

“ I’ve found out that dovetailing with all 
sorts of people means getting interested in 
things outside one's own pet likes," she said 
next morning when the girls were telling 
Judge Boone their experiences in dovetail- 
ing, “ and that means giving up time for the 
things I care most for." 

Judge Boone smiled and nodded. 

“ Yes, it may mean giving up, but it's not 
the sort of giving up that is sacrifice. Most 
young girls find it hard to be enthusiastic 
about things which don't touch their own 


126 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

activities. It’s hard at first to make the effort, 
but once a girl starts in she soon finds that 
she robs herself of nothing — she only enriches 
herself a thousandfold. Really to be inter- 
ested in a subject means learning something 
about it. All girls have a natural healthy 
curiosity which will assert itself after a little 
study concerning the many things which 
other people like and talk about. Everybody 
you talk to can initiate you into some new 
wonder, — some fresh interest. In a little 
while you will feel as if you’ve been blind- 
folded — you’ll see so many nice things in the 
world which you never noticed before.” 

After all the girls had related their ex- 
periences he reminded them of one tool they 
had forgotten. 

"You’ve all learned by your day’s expe- 
rience how to use sympathy and patience and 
what we call tact, along with considerable 
studying by way of preparation to dovetail 
with other people, but there’s one tool so com- 
mon, you’ve overlooked it. It will smooth 


Dovetailing 127 

things out when all the rest of your tools fail 
to do the work. It's the handiest tool of the 
whole kit — I call it ‘ makin'-'em-laugh.' Just 
try it and see what it will do. Laugh with a 
person and you can see your way in a minute 
to get along together without any trouble. • 
People don't make one another laugh enough 
to rub the scratchiness off. Everything con- 
sidered, dovetailing is an education in itself. 
It will connect your lives sympathetically to 
the lives of every one about you. There will 
be no outsiders.” 

Nan slipped her hand into Jean's as they 
went out of the shop together. 

“ I guess dovetailing means something or 
other more than just not quarreling about 
hair ribbons.” 


CHAPTER IX 


STAR-FACE ON ADVENTURE 

After a few weeks of wonderful clear 
autumn weather, the girls of Triple X awoke 
one morning to find a flurry of snow driving 
against their cabins. A high wind was blow- 
ing and by afternoon the storm was raging in 
earnest. 

“It’s just a stray northwester such as we 
have at Triple X once in a while out of 
season / 7 Daddy Richards said to the girls as 
they hovered close to the fireplace. “ Winter 
hasn’t really come. We’ll have our Indian 
Summer after this. But no riding to-day — 
amuse yourselves indoors.” 

Jean began to worry about the horses. 
Little Jim had let them out during the morn- 
ing when there was a lull and the storm 
seemed to be breaking. She was relieved 
when Daddy Richards told her that the Little 
128 


Star-Face on Adventure 


129 


Wrangler would bring them in early in the 
afternoon. She bundled herself in warm 
wraps and hurried out-of-doors, eager to be 
on hand to help count the horses, for this was 
just the sort of day when Little Jim was 
likely to have trouble. 

The snow blew in stinging sharp pellets 
against her face as she watched the horses 
gallop in. She could easily imagine what 
difficulty the Little Wrangler was having with 
his charges. Through the white blur she 
could see his little figure, half standing in his 
saddle as he spurred his horse this way and 
that, frantically trying to bring the remuda 
in. The keen air made the horses high-spir- 
ited and they zigzagged impishly about, ap- 
parently enjoying the Little Wrangler’s shouts 
of annoyance. When he finally reached the 
big gates where Jean awaited him, Little Jim 
gave a glad shout. 

“ Here we are — in at last,” he gasped, be- 
ginning the count as one by one he drove 
the horses through the gate. 


130 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

“ Are all the horses here ? ” questioned 
Jean anxiously. 

“ Can’t tell — they got too skittish for me to 
make sure on the run. Nothin’ but countin’ 
’em will prove anything this kind of weather.” 

Jean peered at the remaining horses and 
gave a cry of dismay as the last one went 
through the gates. 

“ Star-face — Star-face isn’t here.” 

“ Never mind,” said Little Jim quickly, 
trying to banish the look of anxiety on Jean’s 
face. “ He’s just takin’ a turn around some- 
wheres not fer away. I’ll find him before you 
can say Jack Robinson. Why, I remember 
seein’ him just a few seconds ago — he’s feelin’ 
mighty fine and advent’rous to-day. I’ll have 
him here to eat corn out of your hand in a 

jiffy-” 

With that the Little Wrangler was off to 
make an excursion across the wind-swept field 
to find the stray Star-face. In a few moments 
he was back again. 

“ Don’t see any signs of him,” he said re* 


Star-Face on Adventure 131 

luctantly. “ He’s always wantin’ to go off on 
some kind of adventure of his own — and I 
reckon now he’s done it. I’m goin’ to ride 
round the Strip — mebbe he’s on t’other side.” 

The Strip was a long narrow piece of 
densely wooded land which was broken by 
Wolf Creek. It was one of the places as yet 
unexplored by Jean and now, as she looked 
through the snow-veil at the woods, the very 
tips of the trees quivered with mystery. 

“ Maybe Star-face has gone into the woods,” 
she suggested. Perhaps Star-face too had 
felt the spell of the Strip, she thought. 

“ Not likely,” replied Little Jim. “ They 
look too thick for a horse in a racin’ mood.” 

Impatiently Jean watched Little Jim whirl 
his horse about and start anew upon the 
search. She wanted to help too. How could 
she bear to stand there waiting until the Little 
Wrangler returned ? It was only a short 
distance to the Strip. Why shouldn’t she go 
over on foot just to make sure whether Star- 
face was there? He couldn’t have strayed 


132 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

far. Irresistibly Jean felt herself drawn 
across the fields. 

She stood on tiptoe at the entrance of the 
wood. With the snow filtering softly through 
the thick branches, the place seemed to veil 
mysterious wonders. She took the broken 
path with a feeling of great adventure. She 
could hear Little Jim calling Star-face out in 
the field. She could not be very far away 
from him, yet she felt suddenly “ miles away 
from everywhere.” How wonderful the trees 
were in that first swirl of snow ! And what 
a jolly singing the last dry leaves made as 
they clung determinedly to the swaying 
branches ! The chickadees, the chipmunks 
and the rabbits all peered at her curiously. 
It seemed to Jean that they welcomed her 
without fear. She came across an inviting 
hollow tree with a little velvet-smoothed 
stretch of moss below not yet covered by the 
snow. She paused to look at the fringe which 
peeped up out of the moss and made funny 
mouths at her in the bluish shadowa 


Star-Face on Adventure 133 

She looked and listened for Star-face. 
She could hear nothing except the soft patter 
of the wood creatures as they frolicked about. 
The wind had suddenly spent its fury. The 
rustle of the leaves grew more and more 
faint. She pushed her way through the thick 
underbrush at the side of the path to get 
some red berries. She had heard Mummy 
Richards wishing for some to make the living- 
room look gay and bright. . . . 

Jean paused at length and looked around. 
She was surprised to see how thick the tangle 
of bushes seemed about her. She could not 
remember where she had picked her way. 
She parted the bushes and peered through, 
trying to see some object which would guide 
her. If she could find her way back to the 
hollow tree, she thought, then she could 
easily get out of the woods. She plunged 
hopefully through the overhanging bushes. 
’Round and ’round she went in a bewildered 
circle, never coming out by the hollow tree 
for which she was looking. She grew more 


134 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

and more confused by the shadows which 
were deepening so thickly. She tried to make 
her way more rapidly. A dry fallen branch 
fell suddenly before her and she struck it 
aside, impatient at a fraction of delay. How 
quickly the light was leaving the wood I 

She listened anxiously for the Little 
Wrangler’s voice. Had he found Star-face and 
gone back to the stables? She began to 
upbraid herself for not telling him that she 
was going into the Strip. He would think 
she had returned to the house. It would be 
an hour or more before he would finish help- 
ing feed the horses and report to Daddy 
Richards. She would have to find her way 
quickly. She pushed along anxiously, search- 
ing more carefully for the path. Outside 
the Strip had looked so small to her. Now, 
from within, it loomed up about her like a 
big forest. She was brought to a standstill 
by some thick bushes which she could not 
penetrate. SJie gave a little helpless cry. 

“ I’ve lost my way,” she cried. She sank 



SHE CRIED 



Star-Face on Adventure 


>35 


upon the ground and crept for a moment close 
to a big birch tree. She laid her head close 
to its bark and pressed her hands against the 
soft leaf mold about the trunk. Somehow 
the tree seemed to comfort her, and with the 
little quiver of fear gone, she sprang to her 
feet courageously. Of course, she reasoned, 
she could find her way out even if she did not 
go back in exactly the same direction. She 
turned and started to break a path to her 
left, stopping now and then to put her hands 
to her mouth and give a call for Little Jim. 
Perhaps, after all, he would hear her and 
come. Only echoes of her call came back to 
her. The woods grew darker and Jean pressed 
breathlessly toward the space where the irreg- 
ular openings of light were thickest. 

She stumbled on desperately — her courage 
failing her again. . . . Suddenly she 

threw out her hands and fell. Something hard 
and vice-like held her foot. She had sprung 
a small trap and she found she was caught 
tightly. Jean struggled up and twisted with 


136 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

all her strength to wrench herself free, but 
the pain of her effort overpowered her and her 
struggles grew weaker and weaker. 

She saw one star shimmering through the 
trees. All about her was the swinging blur 
of dusk — with that one little hide-and-seek 
gleam. Why, were the trees moving about so 
fantastically after the wind had died down ? 
Faintness overcame her and she fell again, 
feeling dully in her last moment of conscious- 
ness a new hurt in her head as she struck a 

log- 
in a few moments a furry touch awoke 
Jean to consciousness. A rabbit scurried over 
her. Again the swinging blur, but only for a 
second. She lifted herself resolutely and with 
a great effort succeeded this time in loosening 
the chain of the trap from its stake fastening. 
She dragged herself a few feet with the chain 
clinking menacingly with every movement. 
How dark it was growing ! She sank to the 
ground and pulled herself along on her hands 
and knees. Her fingers came in contact now 


Star-Face on Adventure 137 

with damp mosses under cover of leaves and 
snow, then with sharp twigs and stones. She 
tried not to be alarmed. As soon as Little 
Jim went back to the house he would know 
she was lost — then they would come in search 
of her. She could not have much longer to 
wait. . . . 

Suddenly very close to her she heard a little 
whinny. 

“ Star-face ! ” she sobbed. “ Oh, you 
dear ” 

At the sound of her voice Star-face gave an 
answering whinny of recognition. Dimly 
Jean could see him a little farther on in what 
appeared to be an open space. She pulled 
herself on eagerly. Somehow the pain in her 
foot did not seem half so hard to bear now 
that she had found Star-face. What if she 
hadn’t come to the Strip ? Perhaps Star-face 
would not have been found until morning and 
who knows what might have happened to 
him? She had heard the Little Wrangler 
tell dreadful stories about hungry wolves 


138 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

which sometimes came about the ranch. She 
called again to Star-face and received a reas- 
suring answer. He appeared to be so close, yet 
it seemed to her that she could never reach 
him. For some reason he was standing still. 
He made no attempt to come to her. . . . 

Suddenly her hands went forward into 
space — she caught frantically at a rocky 
ledge. It flashed through her mind that she 
had reached the steep bank of Wolf Creek 
which wound around the other side of the 
Strip. She clung for a fraction of a minute 
then resistlessly dropped. The bank was 
high and she fell with a heavy splash into 
what was known as the Hole — the deepest 
part of the stream. She tried heroically for a 
few seconds to keep afloat, but her clothes, to- 
gether with the trap, weighed her down cruelly. 
Her strength seemed to be leaving her. She 
wondered vaguely why she could not make 
her body do her will. Little thin splinters of 
ice floated about her. Now here, — now there, 
she fancied she could see moving forms in the 


Star-Face on Adventure 139 

water. She could hear Star-face whinnying 
pitifully on the bank. She tried to answer 
him but could not. She felt herself sink- 
ing — she could fight no longer to keep 
afloat 

A flash of light through the trees compelled 
her to make a supreme effort. Was it a lan- 
tern ? And did she hear a call ? She strug- 
gled desperately. Again the gleam through 
the wood-dark. Then the call once more. 

“ Here / 7 she cried out faintly. “ Here, 
Little Jim ” 

It was Little Jim who answered her and as 
her eyes closed she caught a glimpse of him 
above her on the ledge, swinging his lantern 
high. 

The Little Wrangler made a quick dive and 
in a moment Jean felt his firm hold upon her. 
“ Keep up,” he gasped encouragingly. “ You 
must.” 

Little Jim tried with all his strength for 
the bank and soon his feet touched the bottom 
of the water-bed. 


140 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

“ There, we’re out of the Hole,” he sput- 
tered in great relief. 

When Jean regained consciousness she was 
on the bank. She felt very wet but strangely 
enough not cold. Little Jim was trying to 
undo the trap from her foot while Star-face 
poked an investigating nose into her hand. 
The Little Wrangler finally mastered the trap 
fastening and Jean gave a moan of relief as 
her foot was freed. 

“ It was a lucky thing I saw your tracks 
making toward the Strip. I knew right away 
what you was up to. Lucky for Star-face 
too,” commented Little Jim. 

Then somehow her plucky little rescuer 
persuaded her that she could stay on Star- 
face’s back. 

“ You’ve got to,” he said firmly, putting 
his dry mackinaw about her. “ Hold as tight 
as you can to Star-face and I’ll ride close to 
help you stick on. We’ve got to get home 
double-quick.” 

Afterward Jean could not remember how 


Star-Face on Adventure 141 

she managed that ride home. She could only 
recall the sound of the Little Wrangler’s voice, 
urging, pleading, commanding every moment 
until they reached the door — then the glimpse 
of anxious faces clustered under the porch 
lantern-light and, at last, the wonderful cud- 
dling of Mummy Richards’ arms. 

“ I’m so sorry,” Jean faltered as her head 
drooped upon Mummy’s shoulder. “ I — I 
dropped your berries.” 


CHAPTER X 


THE PENNY WHISTLERS 

With her foot comfortably bandaged, Jean 
sat propped up in a big armchair by the win- 
dow in the Cure Room, that wonderful re- 
treat which somehow robbed sickness of all 
its terrors for the girls of Triple X. Jean had 
been an occupant of the room for only two 
days, but that was long enough to convince 
her that she was very lucky to be there. Now 
she understood why the girls all welcomed an 
opportunity to go to the Cure Room. Their 
experiences there were always so pleasant. 
Mummy Richards seemed to know, as if by 
magic, exactly what invalids needed to make 
them happy and comfortable. She knew how 
to get the better of every ache and pain. She 
could make her patients forget their ailments 
so completely that when the girls talked over 
their various experiences in the Cure Room 
they seldom made mention of sickness. The 
142 


>43 


The Penny Whistlers 

outdoor life at the ranch made the girls so 
strong and vigorous that few of them ever 
had the opportunity to go to the Cure Room. 
Louise Tyler said that the fun she had there 
almost made up for the fact that she was not 
so strong as the rest of the girls. They were 
always enviously teasing her about her mon- 
opoly of the place. 

The room itself with its soft buff-colored 
walls and white curtains created cheer. Jean 
thought that she had never seen any pictures 
so fascinating as those in the frieze above the 
molding. This frieze was an out-of-door 
panorama of Triple X scenes which Miss Pat- 
ton had painted gradually. Considerable 
space was still unpainted, waiting, Mummy 
Richards explained, for Triple X history to 
be made. The windows were full of bulbs 
which Dr. Hans had sent up for Jean to 
watch. She declared that she could actually 
see them grow. Certainly a Byzantine Won- 
der lily had opened right under her eyes that 
very morning. Jean divided her time watch- 


144 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

ing the flowers and looking at the odd array 
of rag babies, pen sketches and funny clay 
figures which the past occupants of the Cure 
Room had left as mementos upon the long 
mantel above the fireplace. 

Almost before she knew herself that she 
wanted to see some of the girls, Mummy 
Richards came in, bringing Nan with her. 

“ Oh, Jean,” Nan exclaimed, giving quick 
bird-like glances about the room, “ this is 
the very nicest place at Triple X, I do believe 
— but I think that about every new part of it 
I see. Mummy Richards, I feel a dreadful 
pain coming on in my little finger. May I 
stay here to be cured ? ” 

Mummy Richards gave her a playful little 
shake and left the two girls to chat together 
alone. Nan threw herself comfortably upon 
the big couch before the fire and Jean listened 
happily to her account of Triple X doings 
during the last two days. 

“ But I've been so busy I forgot all about 
the gift-book, Jean,” Nan ended ruefully. “ I 


The Penny Whistlers 145 

didn't think once about it until I saw Jess 
putting something in. I don't know what in 
the world I’ll do. I haven't a thing to give 
— nothing other people would want. I'm all 
the time taking, yet I haven't anything that's 
worth putting in the gift-book for other people 
to share. I reckon I was poor in a good 
many ways besides in dollars and cents when 

I came to Triple X." 

“ You have your Fresh Feesh song — the 
one you made up all by yourself when we 
were out in our boats together shelling," sug- 
gested Jean. 

“ Oh, that,” said Nan scornfully. “ Why 
that's just about the old man that used to 
peddle fish along the river road — it's noth- 
ing." 

“ Yes, it is," Jean declared enthusiastically. 

II It's jolly and funny as can be. You could 
write the words in the gift-book and when 
it’s opened you could sing the song just as 
you used to sing it on the river. The girls 
would like it." 


146 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

“ Would they ? ” questioned Nan dubiously. 

“ I’m not so sure about that, but ” She 

straightened up with a sudden resolve. “ I’ll 
do it — -just so the girls will know I’m not 
ashamed of where I came from. You know, 
Jean, some of the girls laugh in such a queer 
way when I talk about the river and our little 
cabin. I know what they think — but just 
the same I love it, and I’m glad I was born 
there.” 

Jean laughed and patted Nan's hot cheeks. 

“ I’m glad too, for you wouldn’t be the 
same Nan if you had been born anywhere 
else. Don’t mind what the girls say.” 

“ I don’t mind — for myself. But can’t you 
see, Jean, — they talk about you too?” Nan 
propped herself on her elbow and looked 
anxiously at her friend. “ They think we’re 
both just common river folks and some of the 
girls do their best to make us feel like crawl- 
ing off ashamed into a corner. Ann Scofield 
is the worst one. She’s always giggling when- 
ever she sees us and talking behind her hand 


>47 


The Penny Whistlers 

to Lilian Arlington. They’re both forever say- 
ing things about their big houses and servants 
and motors so we can hear. I can hardly 
keep from screeching out sometimes that 
you’re a princess in disguise. Why, wouldn’t 
they be surprised if they knew your Father 
Dick had all those gold mines ? ” 

“ Nan, you promised me you wouldn’t tell 
— and you must never, never forget,” Jean 
said gravely. “ All the girls don’t act like 
Ann and Lilian — and anyhow it’s much nicer 
to find out whether they will all like me 
without knowing about Father Dick. When 
we first went away from Payneville — Father 
Dick and I — and were really dreadfully poor, 
I never used to think at all about mixing 
money up with friends. I didn’t suppose 
that it ever made any difference, but I’ve 
found out that it does. If the girls don’t like 
me without knowing Father Dick has heaps 
of money, I don’t want them for my friends. 
Oh, Nan, you don’t know how much I want 
the girls to like me just for myself.” 


148 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

“ They will — they must,” cried Nan, hug- 
ging Jean close and quite forgetting the 
bandaged foot. 

“ It’s too soon to tell yet,” answered Jean, 
suppressing a cry at the twinge of pain which 
Nan’s impulsive jostling started. “ Anyhow 
you’re not to breathe a word. I’ve another 
good reason for wanting to keep on wearing 
these home-made clothes. Tubby keeps writ- 
ing that I’ll never ‘ stick it out,’ as he ex- 
presses it. I’m going to show him.” 

Just then Mummy Richards popped in at 
the door and told Nan that it was past time to 
get the eggs. 

“ You can come back to-night after dinner,” 
said Mummy Richards with delightful mys- 
tery. 

Nan left in a state of great expectation and 
Jean settled down to enjoy a big cup of hot 
chocolate and cinnamon toast followed by a 
nap, pleasantly full of dreams about the 
evening. 

At exactly eight o’clock the door of the 


i 4 9 


The Penny Whistlers 

Cure Room opened gently and in marched 
all the girls with Mummy Richards at the 
head, bearing the gift-book. 

“ We're going to open the gift-book here," 
she explained to Jean's delight. 

The girls sat down about the fireplace and 
examined the gift-book with shrieks of ex- 
citement. There were kodak pictures of many 
newly discovered places about Triple X which 
made Nan declare that they would never come 
to the end of the wonders of the ranch. There 
were many exclamations of interest over Jean's 
pictures of mosses. She had found some beau- 
tiful specimens about the ranch and Dr. Hans 
had helped her to arrange and classify them. 

“ Here's a piece that looks exactly like a 
little miniature forest," exclaimed Jess en- 
thusiastically. “ It's wonderful." 

“ And another like a bit of lace," Louise 
said, curiously spelling out the name “ Hyp- 
num crista-castrensis” which was written under- 
neath. 

“ Here's one made up of tiny cups," re- 


150 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

marked Caroline Sawyer, a big bappy-go- 
lucky girl from Oregon. “ Why, I never 
noticed before that there was more than one 
kind of moss. I s'pose I've not stopped long 
enough to find out. It takes Jean to open 
our eyes." 

“ I hope you will find more things in 
nature's peep-show for us, Jean," remarked 
Mummy Richards approvingly. “ There are 
thousands of beautiful little things we over- 
look every day. Just think what a lot of en- 
joyment we miss by not keeping our eyes 
open." 

Nan squeezed Jean's hand delightedly 
during all this enthusiasm and Jean's eyes 
danced happily when she found that her 
offering was not a failure. When Nan’s page 
was opened she stood up bravely and sang 
the funny words to her “ Fresh Feesh " song 
with such irresistible abandon that the girls 
clapped wildly and insisted upon hearing it 
all over again. 

Ann Scofield gave a queer little look at 


The Penny Whistlers 151 

Lilian when Nan started to explain that the 
song was about an old river-man who lived 
back home, but Nan, fortified by Jean’s en- 
couraging smile, went on undaunted and fin- 
ished by telling how Jean and she used to 
sing it together when they were out shelling. 
Jean helped her sing the encore and the girls 
joined in, all trying to learn the chorus. 

Betty Richards read a new recipe for candy 
which she had concocted herself during her 
experiments in the kitchen and best of all, 
she produced heaped-up plates of the con- 
fection which proved she understood the art 
of candy-making. There was a plentiful 
sprinkling of Ho Chung’s jokes in the gift- 
book and many attempts at rhymes. Some 
of the pages were vacant — Ann’s among them. 

“ I couldn’t think of one thing,” explained 
Ann apologetically. 

“ Some of you girls need to learn how and 
what to give,” said Mummy Richards, laugh- 
ing kindly at the downcast faces of the girls 
who had contributed nothing to the gift- 


152 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

book. “It was you, Ann, that I heard refus- 
ing to play your violin for some of the girls 
last night.” 

“ Oh, but Mummy Richards — it was just 
the girls — I don’t like to make my music so 
common,” exclaimed Ann. “ Just like an 
organ-grinder who plays for any one and 
every one.” 

“ There are a good many girls like you, 
Ann, who, after having unusual advantages 
for developing their gifts, seem to be afraid 
of making them common, as you express it. 
They want a big audience and everything ar- 
ranged for an artistic effect. You had some- 
thing to give — you could have put into the 
gift-book that original composition I heard 
you practicing in the studio.” 

“ I was saving it,” faltered Ann. 

“ And you, Clare, left your page empty for 
just the opposite reason,” continued Mummy 
Richards, slipping her arm kindly about 
Clare Edson, a shy, blue-eyed girl from the 
foot-hills of California. “ You were afraid 


The Penny Whistlers 153 

that your caricature drawings weren’t worth 
putting in. Come, every one of you, let’s 
have a footstool talk.” 

The girls crowded eagerly about her. All 
the available footstools in the room were 
dragged to Mummy Richards’ chair. The 
girls who couldn’t find footstools cuddled to- 
gether upon the rugs. 

“ No one can ever guess what Mummy 
Richards is going to say when she has a foot- 
stool talk,” Helen said to Jean. “ It’s great 
fun because she makes us say all sorts of things 
we would never think of by ourselves.” 

“ I’m going to ask questions about the 
things you want most of all to learn to do,” 
explained Mummy Richards. 

In a few moments all the girls were trying 
to talk at once about being musicians, painters, 
sculptors — all manner of wonderful creative 
geniuses. It was as if Mummy Richards had 
magically touched every girl’s imagination. 
She sat back in her chair, enjoying the chat- 
ter immensely. 


154 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

“ I’m going to learn to play the harp,” said 
Helen excitedly, “ so I can make a sensation 
when I come out in society. A girl has to do 
something out of the ordinary to make a suc- 
cess nowadays.” 

“ And I want to learn to sing beautifully,” 
broke in Louise eagerly, “ so I can have a 
chance with other girls. I’ve been sick so 
much that I’ve never learned to do anything 
in particular and I don’t count for anything 
beside other girls.” 

Caroline wanted to learn to paint pictures 
for big exhibitions. Jess Monroe frankly 
stated that she wanted to learn to play her 
music well enough to make people clap. 
Jean found herself telling her ambition to 
achieve greatness by writing a book. Nan 
burst out with the assertion that she wanted 
to learn to make heaps of money so she could 
help “ the folks at home.” 

Mummy Richards patted Nan delightedly. 

“ Here’s one girl at least who doesn’t want 
to develop her gifts so she can outshine other 


The Penny Whistlers 1 55 

people. Most of you want to do all these 
wonderful things so you can make yourselves 
more attractive. You would make your skill 
like an ornament to your dress. Very few 
of you have the right idea about big talents, 
nor little ones either. You will all have to 
learn to be penny whistlers before you can 
use your gifts as they should be.” 

To the girls’ astonishment, Mummy Rich- 
ards produced a penny whistle for every girl. 

“ You don’t mean we have to learn to 
play these funny tin whistles, Mummy 
Richards ? ” cried Helen, distractedly trying 
to toot the scale. 

“They are just reminders. Learn to play 
them or not, just as you choose, but keep 
them in your rooms so that whenever you 
look at them, you will think about being a 
penny whistler. It’s fun, though, to learn to 
play a tune or two and it may set you to 
thinking a little harder.” 

Mummy Richards took up her own whistle 
and delighted her audience with some old 


156 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

English airs. Then she read from the Letters 
of Robert Louis Stevenson his whimsical 
remarks about being “ a performer on the 
penny whistle.” 

“Try to think of your gifts as Stevenson 
thought of his,” she said earnestly. “ To the 
penny whistler even the greatest gift is small 
— never too wonderful for every-day use — and 
to him no gift is too insignificant to develop 
and use. The penny whistler’s first maxim 
is : Create beauty and give it. 

“ I want every Triple X girl to become 
one of the light-hearted, gifted company of 
penny whistlers, always happy, generous and 
sane-minded in the use of her powers. If you 
become true penny whistlers, even though 
you recognize your limitations you will never 
despair. You will always have something for 
the gift-book. You will find that little 
things have their peculiar charm. Perhaps 
you can never learn to be great artists and 
musicians but you can all make a penny 
whistle effort of some kind. 


‘57 


The Penny Whistlers 

“ If Caroline, for instance, never paints a 
picture which reaches the great galleries or 
even a local art exhibition she can illuminate 
gift-books, color kodak pictures and make 
pretty place cards. Penny whistlers are the 
ones who think it is worth while to learn to 
do the marketing, to manage the household 
machinery, to design original patterns for their 
embroidery, to have a garden, to read stories 
interestingly, to arrange flowers artistically — 
all the little things which if well done help to 
make life more beautiful. And if any of you 
do achieve fame, as Ann may, with her great 
gift, the hand-clapping will mean to you, not 
that you have brought glory to yourselves but 
that you have given pleasure to others. The 
penny whistler doesn't make an exhibition 
of her gift ; she gives it graciously, happily 
and unselfishly." 

The girls were silent for a few moments 
after she had finished speaking, all of them 
thinking hard — then Jean started a gay toot- 
ing on the penny whistle and a great hurrah- 


158 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

ing filled the Cure Room for the new order 
of Penny Whistlers. 

Ann stole away and came back half shyly 
with her violin. 

“ Please, Mummy Richards, may I play my 
violin now?” she asked humbly. 

Delightedly Mummy Richards led her to 
the open space before the fireplace. Ann 
drew her bow and played quite like another 
girl without any of the old self-conscious 
flourishes and little premeditated airs. Gone 
entirely was her smug satisfaction in her gift. 
She seemed only to be glad that she could 
supply the music which every one wanted 
after Mummy Richards’ talk. 

Clare brought her funny little drawings 
and the girls had a good laugh at themselves 
caricatured in all manner of grotesque poses 
which Clare had cleverly caught. 

The other girls who had left their gift-book 
pages empty followed Ann’s and Clare’s ex- 
amples. Every one seemed to catch the 
true spirit of the Penny Whistler. Mummy 


l 59 


The Penny Whistlers 

Richards hovered among them like an en- 
couraging angel as they chattered and made 
wonderful plans. All too soon the big hall 
clock chimed out the bedtime hour. The 
girls trooped off, practicing all manner of 
tunes on their whistles as they went down- 
stairs. 

Jean could hear the first bars of Nan's 
“ Fresh Feesh ” song rising clear and trium- 
phant above the din. She smiled happily as 
she listened, for it seemed somehow to be a 
good omen that her brave Nan was going to 
become the leader of the Penny Whistlers. 

“ Mummy Richards," confided Jean as she 
was being tucked in for the night, “ you've 
made me feel different about writing books. 
Somehow I don't care so much now because I 
haven't the power to do big things. I used to 
hope and hope that something big would 
sprout, but I've found out that I'm not a 
genius — that's all there is to it. And now I'm 
going to stop dreaming about it and enjoy 
writing my jingles." 


CHAPTER XI 


ON THE TRAIL 

“ Look at the fish Pve caught for breakfast/' 
cried Nan as Jean came down the steps bright 
and early her first day out of the Cure Room. 
“ And just think I got them all in Wolf Creek, 
within a stone's throw of the house." 

“ Oh, they’re beauties," exclaimed Jean ex- 
amining the fine string which Nan held out 
so proudly. “ What is this one with such a 
pretty sparkle on its sides ? " 

“ That’s the athletic rainbow trout," an- 
swered Nan promptly. “ I’ve learned a lot 
about fish since I came to Triple X. Here’s a 
black spotted " 

“ Nan makes a first-rate fisherman," said 
Daddy Richards, coming up the path with his 
own tackle and trout basket. “ You must try 

your luck too, Jean, some of these fine Indian 
160 



THEY FOLLOWED THE TRAIL 
















































































- 









On the Trail 


161 


Summer days while the fish take the bait so 
easily. We’ll all have a little fishing later on 
to-day while we take a rest off and on along 
the pony trail.” 

“ Oh, are we really going on the pony trail 
to-day?” asked Jean excitedly. “I was so 
afraid I’d miss it while I was in the Cure 
Room.” 

“ We waited until you could go with us,” 
replied Daddy Richards. “ I’m sure you’ll 
be equal to it, for there will be very little strain 
on your foot — the riding is easy.” 

After breakfast the Little Wrangler brought 
the horses around to the eager waiting girls. 

“ Follow me,” said Daddy Richards, swing- 
ing into his saddle like a boy. 

In less than a quarter of an hour they rode 
into Wolf Canon. On both sides of them 
rose straight cliffs for over a thousand feet. 
They followed the trail easily up the narrow 
canon, spicy with the many tall pines which 
grew in thick clusters along the lower ledges. 
Below they could see Wolf Creek as it rushed 


162 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

and tumbled over the big boulders. They 
crept along the face of many a cliff toward 
the spires of the canon which towered high 
above them. Finally they reached the level 
of the upper valley where they had a glorious 
view of the Big Horn Mountains. All too 
soon Daddy Richards turned his horse home- 
ward, the girls all following close and beg- 
ging for more trips like it. 

During the Indian Summer days, Daddy 
Richards crowded in as many excursions about 
the country as possible. Most of the time out 
of study hours the girls spent in the saddle. 
Every Saturday they had a whole day of de- 
lightful exploring. It was hard for the new 
girls to believe at first that they were almost 
all the time on the ranch. 

“ Daddy Richards makes a tip-top guide,” 
exclaimed Caroline Sawyer enthusiastically, 
“ and the stories he tells are more exciting 
even than the Leather Stocking tales we’re 
reading.” 

Most thrilling of all the stories the girls 


On the Trail 


163 

heard were those Daddy Richards told about 
the old stage trail which used to stretch 
from the far-famed “ cow town ” of Buffalo to 
Fort Custer on the Big Horn River. 

“ Triple X is just about midway on this 
famous old trail, and I'll take you some day 
to the very spots where the two great tragedies 
of the Indian warfare took place — the Custer 
battle-field on the Little Big Horn and the 
Fetterman battle-field near Fort Phil Kear- 
ney,” promised Daddy Richards in response 
to their eager questions about the country. 
“ But you’ll have to ride a good many miles.” 

“ I could live in my saddle,” declared Jean, 
and all the girls echoed her. 

Daddy Richards made haste to fulfil as 
many of his promises as possible before the 
heavy snows set in. The girls returned from 
the Custer trip with much new knowledge of 
the country and, as Nan expressed it, “ some 
idea of how the battle really was fought.” 
Under the direction of Daddy Richards the 
girls followed the courses of the troops as they 


164 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

moved during that tragic conflict so many 
years ago. Every girl experienced many a 
thrill as she rode over the historical trails 
and listened to Daddy Richards’ vivid narra- 
tive. As they talked over the trip about the 
ranch fireplace he told them about the great 
trail herds which came into this land from 
the southwest after the Indian warfare had 
ceased. He promised them an excursion to 
Tongue River where the “ cow-punchers ” 
held sway for so many years. 

Sometimes he gave them no hint of a pro- 
spective trip. Jean and Nan were awakened 
one morning by Jess, long before time for the 
sunrise song. 

“ Get up, sleepy-heads,” she cried. “ I’m to 
awaken every one an hour earlier for breakfast. 
Daddy Richards has a surprise.” 

“Oh, what is it?” cried Jean and Nan, 
simultaneously sitting up in bed. 

But Jess had already gone, and the only 
thing for them to do was to get dressed quickly 
and find out for themselves what was going to 


On the Trail 


l6 5 

happen. They could see the horses already 
saddled, waiting in front of the big house. 

Daddy Richards met them at the dining- 
room door with an exciting announcement. 

“We’re going to start to the Crow Reserva- 
tion to-day. We’ll make stops along the way 
at some of the big ranches and give you the 
opportunity to get acquainted with some of 
our neighbors. We’ll reach the Reservation 
in time to see the Industrial Fair which they 
have every year about this time.” 

There was a shout of delight from all the 
girls as they hurried to their places at the 
table. 

“ Take time to eat enough,” advised Mummy 
Richards, smiling at their eager haste. “ Re- 
member, it will be a long time until the first 
stop.” 

The girls remembered, and sent Ho Chung 
hurrying back and forth until he threw up 
his hands comically at each request for more 
royal grouse and toast. But when the Little 
Wrangler put his head in at the door and 


166 A Little Princess of the Ranch 


announced that they would have only a few 
minutes to pack their knapsacks, no one 
lingered for a last mouthful. 

“ Put plenty of money into your purses,” 
said Helen as the girls were thrusting things 
into their knapsacks. “ There will be heaps 
of pretty things to buy at the Reservation.” 

The horses seemed to be in as high spirits 
as the girls themselves when they jumped into 
their saddles and set off northward on the 
Old Trail at a lively clip. Along the way 
Daddy Richards chatted to them about the 
Indian traditions and prepared them for what 
they would see at the Reservation. Once, 
quite suddenly, he drew rein and pointed to 
some large sandstone boulders, covered with 
strange figures. 

“ Petroglyphs,” he explained. “ They’re 
worth stopping to see.” 

The girls jumped down from their horses 
and tried to guess the stories which the crude 
figures were meant to tell. Daddy Richards 
told them how the Indians cut into the face 


On the Trail 167 

of the rocks and left these records of their 
doings. 

“ It was their way of preserving history,” 
he said. “ The reason there are so few 
petroglyphs about the country is because it 
took so long to cut the rocks with the sort of 
instruments which the Indian had to work 
with — -just pieces of sharp pointed flint or 
quartz. So they kept records of only the 
most important events. Petroglyphs are all 
old records, while their pictographs are mostly 
of modern times.” 

He showed them some pictographs which 
were figures merely painted upon the rocks. 

“ You see they found an easier way to tell 
their stories, but these pictographs are not of 
much value, as they disappear in a compara- 
tively short time — wiped out by the rain and 
snow. This can never happen to the petro- 
glyphs since they are all cut deep in the rocks, 
then painted. Pictographs are still used by 
the Indians out here. They keep a record of 
the main events of each year. They seldom 


168 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

use the rocks any more, but hides instead. 
The leather makes a fine background for their 
pictographs . 77 

“What funny calendars / 7 exclaimed Jean, 
trying to draw a pictograph on her knapsack 
with a piece of charcoal which she had picked 
up from an old camp-fire by the way. 

“ They don't call them calendars, but ‘ win- 
ter counts 7 instead , 77 explained Daddy Rich- 
ards. 

“ Where did they get their paint before 
they knew white folks ? 77 asked Nan prac- 
tically. 

“ They knew how to boil the feet of deer 
and elk to obtain a substance which they 
used in place of linseed oil and turpentine. 
They mixed these with earth pigments, oxides 
of iron, copper, zinc and burnt bone — anything 
they could find to produce color. Their paint 
lasts wonderfully — much longer than our 
modern paint would last under the same con- 
ditions . 77 

“ But their paint brushes ? 77 questioned Jess. 


On the Trail 169 

“ Tufts of antelope hair tied on small sticks, 
usually — but sometimes just soft wood pounded 
at the end into fine fibers. The Indian at- 
tached great significance to colors. Black 
was the emblem of sorrow and death ; red 
meant defiance, anger and war ; yellow told 
of treachery ; green of hope, joy, victory ; blue 
of love and loyalty. They arranged these 
cardinal colors side by side to make a sort of 
sign alphabet. That is why it is sometimes 
easy to guess what pictographs mean if we 
study the colors used.” 

The girls were eager to decipher every pic- 
tograph along the way, so the trip became a 
very leisurely one with many stops. It was 
not easy to shorten their stays at the hos- 
pitable ranches where they enjoyed such de- 
licious cooking and comfortable beds. Many 
were the new friends they made and many 
the stories they heard about the early frontier 
days. 

“ Why, we wouldn't need any story books, 
if every one could tell things in such an in- 


170 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

teresting way as these ranchmen do,” Jean 
exclaimed enthusiastically. 

The girls tried hard to remember every- 
thing new they heard. They proved their 
memory of the significance of the Indian 
colors, when, at the Reservation, Lone Dog 
showed them a buffalo robe covered with pic- 
tographs. 

“ These mean some kind of battle,” guessed 
Nan, pointing to three sets of parallel black 
lines of ten each. 

“ Yes,” answered the interpreter, “ those 
lines tell that thirty Dakotas were killed by 
the Crow Indians that year.” 

“ And this must be some kind of battle 
that ended by a general making up,” added 
Jean, indicating a set of red and blue symbols. 

Lone Dog explained in broken English that 
this pictograph signified that they had had 
trouble among themselves. 

“ What in the world does this moon mean 
with all the stars around it?” asked Jess in- 
terestedly. “ The stars all have red tails.” 


On the Trail 


171 

“ That means the meteoric shower of No- 
vember 13, 1833,” said the interpreter, “ and 
there are some events even farther back than 
that on this skin.” 

“ Almost a hundred years of history on a 
single skin,” exclaimed Caroline. “ Oh, why 
don’t we have buffalo skins instead of dozens 
of books for our histories ? They’d be so 
much easier to refer to.” 

The girls all laughed, knowing how hard 
Caroline found it to look up historical refer- 
ences. 

It was the week of the Crow Industrial 
Fair, and the girls had the best possible op- 
portunity to study the tribe. Every one took 
the liveliest interest in the feats of arms, the 
races, the games, the dances and the indus- 
tries of the Crows and also of the Cheyennes 
and the Sioux who were visiting amiably at 
the Agency during the fair and having a part 
in it. 

Most of the girls were buying souvenirs 
at every turn, silver bracelets, beaded bags, 




172 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

tiny toy canoes cut from birch-bark, gorgeous 
strings of beads, curiously carved figures in 
wood, bits of pottery and all sorts of serapes. 
Ann and Lilian had so many things that 
their knapsacks were soon overloaded. Nan 
and Jean bought nothing, but they “ oh-ed 
and ah-ed ” just as enthusiastically as the 
other girls over the thousand and one trinkets 
which the Indians had made for the exhibition 
with an eye to pleasing the white-faced vis- 
itors at the fair. When they came to the 
wonderful display of Indian blankets Jean 
caught sight of a yellow and brown one 
which charmed her completely. It was 
colored with the old vegetable dyes, which 
accounted for the soft richness of its tones. 
She quite forgot every one else in the excite- 
ment of her discovery. 

“ Oh, I’ll take that blanket,” she said 
quickly to the attendant. “ The brown and 
yellow one. How much is it ? ” 

The attendant named a high price. 

“ You see we haven’t many of the genuine 


On the Trail 


i73 

vegetable dyed blankets left in the country. 
They are getting to be rare,” he said. 

Jean fingered the blanket appreciatively, 
noting the beauty of the design. She had 
learned during her stay in Mexico a great 
deal about the difference between the old 
hand-woven Indian blankets and the new. 
This seemed well worth the price. Father 
Dick would be delighted with it, she thought 
to herself. It was something worth taking 
back with her for him. She drew out her 
purse without hesitating. Suddenly hearing 
a gasp she looked and saw the surprise upon 
the girls* faces. She flushed and said quietly, 
" I can’t take it,” then thrust her purse back 
into her pocket without opening it. 

Ann gave a little giggle and pushed for- 
ward. 

“ Then I will,” she said with a great air, 
taking out the money to pay for it. 

“ Good gracious, Ann, there seems to be no 
end to your gold pieces to-day,” exclaimed 
Caroline. 


174 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

Ann smiled importantly and enjoyed a fine 
moment as the money clinked into the attend- 
ant's hands. 

“ But, Ann, how are you going to get it 
back to Triple X with you ? " inquired Lilian 
anxiously. “ You have more than you know 
what to do with already." 

Ann gazed helplessly at the blanket in her 
hands. 

“ Dear me, I didn't think of that," ex- 
claimed Ann in sudden despair. “ I forgot 
that Daddy Richards told me I couldn't strap 
a single thing more to my saddle." 

“ Let me take it for you," suggested Jean 
pleasantly. 

Ann looked at her in amazement. 

“Do you really mean it?" she asked half 
unbelievingly. 

“ Of course," Jean answered. “ I can take 
care of it easily — you see I've nothing else to 
look after." 

With a strange expression on her face, Ann 
handed the blanket to Jean. 


On the Trail 


*75 


“ Well, I declare,” Lilian vouchsafed by 
way of comment to Ann, who failed to make 
any response. 

“ It was a good joke, wasn’t it ? ” Nan said 
later on to Jean as she helped her strap the 
blanket behind her saddle. 

“ Yes, it was,” Jean replied laughing, “ but 
it frightens me to think how nearly I gave 
myself away.” 


CHAPTER XII 


HOME-MADE COLOR 

The last days of the autumn calendar were 
filled with busy gardening. Dr. Hans upset 
all the plans for late expeditions about the 
country by putting the girls to work planning 
their outdoor gardens. 

“ Why, that's spring work,” was the general 
exclamation. 

“ YouTl not have gardens that amount to 
much if you wait until spring to plan them — 
you must start them now,” said Dr. Hans, 
bringing out many baskets of bulbs and 
tubers — iris, crocus, snowdrop, puschkonia 
and scilla. “ Choose from these what you 
want to see first when the snow goes, then 
weTl attend to setting out some perennials 
such as columbine, pinks, peonies, larkspurs 
— any plants you want along with flowering 
176 


Home-Made Color 


177 


shrubs. Each girl may choose some small 
nook of the ranch grounds to beautify in an 
informal way just as she fancies. Maybe if 
you remember that your gardens are going to 
remain after you leave Triple X, you’ll try to 
plan something worth while.” 

The girls scurried about with pencil and 
paper, drawing their plans over and over in 
great eagerness to decide upon something 
definite so that they could start their plant- 
ing. Dr. Hans looked over the drawings 
with a suggestion here and there which saved 
many a bad color effect. 

“Just think how my purple larkspurs 
would have looked next to red peonies,” Nan 
said laughingly as she erased her drawing 
energetically. 

After the outdoor gardening was finished 
for the fall, Dr. Hans found more work for 
them to do. 

“ If you want any spinach, radishes, lettuce, 
beets and parsley to eat this winter you must 
plant some seed right away in the cold frames 


178 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

and in the winter garden room. Don’t forget 
how hungry our pet deer get for green things 
in the winter,” he told them, “ and, Jean, it’s 
your last chance to sow mignonette in pots 
for blossoms this winter. If we’re to have 
any geraniums blooming late in January, 
some one must take cuttings of the old plants 
now.” 

Thus he kept the girls busy every spare 
moment until the snow began to fly in the 
air, when by the big fireplace they selected 
seeds to put away in safe little boxes for 
spring planting. 

Not until the girls awoke one morning to 
find the drifts piled high against their cabin 
doors did they realize that the winter had 
really “ set in.” 

“ Now whatever shall we do to have a good 
time?” wailed Ann. “ We’re all shutoff at 
Triple X from everything — -just think — mail 
only twice a week from now on till spring, 
Daddy Richards says. How can we have any 
fun ? ” 


Home-Made Color 179 

“Wait and see,” answered Betty, smiling 
wisely. 

Ann did not have long to wait to find out 
that at Triple X the girls knew how to make 
home-made color. As soon as study hour 
was over there was an excited announcement 
of “ snow-bridging.” 

“Snow-bridging?” questioned Jean. “ What 
is that ? ” 

“ A game Betty has made up,” Jess told 
her. “ Hurry and get your snow-clothes on 
and bring your sled.” 

Jean with the rest of the girls soon ap- 
peared out-of-doors snugly bundled, ready 
for the new game. Jess took them to the 
west hill which, during the morning, had 
taken on quite a new aspect. 

Two lines of snow bridges had been built 
along the hill down to the very end. They 
looked like miniature old-fashioned covered 
bridges — “ exactly like the old red bridge at 
home,” Nan declared. 

“ The cowboys put them up for us,” ex- 


180 A Little Princess of the Ranch 


plained Betty. “ They made them by taking 
hoops from big hogsheads and putting them 
together with a framework of laths. This 
makes a foundation for the snow which is 
packed on just as firmly as can be.” 

There were six bridges in each line, ten feet 
or more apart. Betty explained that there 
would be two snow-bridging teams — each 
team keeping to its own line. Quickly she 
marshaled the teams for the game. 

“ Caroline, you're to be captain of the 
Reds and, Jean, you head the Blues,” she 
arranged. 

She gave the girls red and blue ribbons to 
tie about their arms — “ so the teams wouldn’t 
get mixed,” she said. 

Jean and Caroline assembled their teams in 
line at the top of the hill and Betty gave the 
signal to start. Excitedly the captains started 
on their coasters down-hill through the 
bridges. As soon as one girl successfully 
went through all the bridges of her line and 
passed the goal mark at the bottom of the 


Home-Made Color 181 

hill, Betty blew her whistle for the second 
girl of that team to start and so on until all 
the girls had gone down-hill. The rule was 
that every player must pass through all the 
bridges. If a girl swerved out of line and 
went past a bridge, she had to come back and 
go through it. Only two players were al- 
lowed on the course at a time. The team 
which lined up first beyond the goal was of 
course victorious. 

There was much shouting as Nan (last of 
the Reds) bobbed off the course into a snow- 
drift and had to trudge back half-way up the 
hill to go through the bridge which she had 
missed. 

“ Oh, I’ve made the Reds lose / 7 she cried 
sorrowfully as she finally brought her sled 
over the goal line. 

“ Don’t mind,” said Caroline comfortingly. 
“ This is only our first time down the hill. 
We must make six runs before the game’s 
over. We’ll make up next time.” 

“ I’ll not lose any time getting up-hill,” 


182 A Little Princess of the Ranch 


Nan declared as Betty signaled for the teams 
to start back. 

No player was allowed to start back up-hill 
until all of her team had passed the goal and 
that team’s second run could not begin until 
every one of the number reached the top. 
The girls were delighted to find that going 
up-hill could be made to count for time in 
this way. Nan was the first of the Reds to 
reach the top of the hill and she stood there 
calling out eagerly to the stragglers who were 
still half-way down the hill. Her shouts of 
encouragement seemed to help, for the Reds 
were the first to line up for the second run. 
Lilian and Clare discouraged the Blues by 
taking turns pulling each other up the hill. 

“ You’ll never get to the top at that rate,” 
screamed Betty. “ It’s lots quicker to walk.” 

The two girls reluctantly abandoned their 
effort to get up the hill with only half as 
much exertion as the rest, and trudged up 
together arm-in-arm the remainder of the 
way. Puffing and laughing they arrived last 


Home-Made Color 183 

of their team. Consequently the Blues were 
slow in getting started and this time were 
second over the goal line. 

“ Now we’re even,” cried Nan exultantly. 

“ But you’ll not be first next time,” said 
Lilian, dragging Clare along to head the 
Blues up the hill in order not to be respon- 
sible again for a slow start. 

The Blues, spurred on by their failure, suc- 
ceeded in winning the third run. After that 
the contest became very lively indeed, and 
the game ended a tie which occasioned much 
wild cheering by both teams. 

“ If only we could play another game,” 
sighed Jean. “ But it’s getting dark and 
there comes Little Jim to call us.” 

“ We’ll have another game to-morrow,” 
Betty promised. 

“ Three cheers for Betty and her new 
game,” cried Caroline, leading both teams in 
an enthusiastic round of “ rah-rah-rah’s.” 

“ Snow-bridging is the best game ever,” de- 
clared Helen, and all the girls agreed with her 


184 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

most heartily as they reluctantly took the 
path to the Big House. 

“ You’re to put your coasters in the shed 
by Judge Boone’s shop,” said Little Jim, lead- 
ing the way to the shed which had been kept 
locked all fall. 

The girls peered in curiously and set up a 
shout as they saw that the place was full of 
what Judge Boone called “ outdoor play- 
things ” for them. 

“ Skis,” cried Jean in great delight, “ and 
snow-shoes ” 

“ And skates,” added Louise. “ Do you 
suppose I can ever learn to stand up on 
them ? ” 

“ Of course,” Betty assured her. “ The 
ranchmen will teach you how to do a funny 
jig on the ice which they call the war dance. 
You can learn it in no time. Every one who 
tries it gets so interested learning the turns 
there’s no time to think about falling down.” 

A very hungry set of girls later appeared in 
the dining-room and appreciatively ate all the 


Home-Made Color 185 

venison steak and other savory food which 
Ho Chung could be induced to bring to 
them. 

“ I never was so sleepy in my life,” Jess 
said as they arose from the table. “ I’m 
thankful we did our studying before the 
game.” 

The girls lingered for a while in the living- 
room and tried politely to listen to the story 
which Mummy Richards began to read. Jess 
comfortably settled herself in the corner of 
the big davenport before the fire and in a few 
minutes she was nodding comically. 

“ You look so funny, Jess,” whispered Jean, 
nudging her. “ Your hair ribbons are stick- 
ing up exactly like horns.” 

Jess roused for a few seconds, but soon 
drowsed off again. She was not the only one, 
for all around the room heads began to droop. 
Jean felt her own eyes shutting against her 
will. Suddenly she was aroused by Mummy 
Richards who laughingly closed her book 
with a great bang. The girls bobbed up 


186 A Little Princess of the Ranch 


guiltily and begged Mummy Richards to go 
on with the story. 

“ No, indeed, little sleepy-heads — off to bed 
with you at once,” she said, giving Nan’s 
flushed cheeks a little pat and pinching Jess 
gently to help her keep awake, “ or you’ll 
not want to get up on time.” 

There was much speculation on the way to 
bed concerning the next day’s game of snow- 
bridging, and that was the first thing the girls 
began to talk about when they came to break- 
fast. 

“ I’m all black and blue from so many 
tumbles,” Jean said, “ but I’m ready for 
another game.” 

“ And I, — and I,” went the chorus. 

“ But it doesn’t look as if we’ll want to 
play snow-bridging to-day after all,” Caroline 
remarked, interestedly reading a little note of 
invitation which she had discovered tucked 
in the folds of her napkin. “ Daddy Richards 
is going to give us a party.” 

The rest of the girls investigated their own 


Home-Made Color 187 

napkins hurriedly, and in a second snow- 
bridging was temporarily forgotten as they 
read and reread their invitations, trying to 
guess what sort of party Daddy Richards had 
invited them to after study hour that after- 
noon. 

“ He says we’re to bring trowels,” gasped 
Helen. “ And it’s going to be outdoors.” 

Dr. Hans laughed wisely when the girls 
came trooping into the garden-room for their 
trowels. 

“ You thought you wouldn't need those 
any more for a while, didn’t you ? ” he asked. 

“ Are we going to make a garden in the 
snow ? ” Jean inquired. “ Do tell us — I’m 
sure you know.” 

“ You’re not going to make a garden — that’s 
all I can tell you,” answered Dr. Hans 
tantalizingly. 

“ The best way to find out is to hurry to 
the front yard,” suggested Nan, bent on being 
in time for the party. 

Daddy Richards was awaiting them. The 


188 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

girls noticed that he too was armed with a 
trowel and some charcoal sticks as well. 

“It's a snow-sculpturing party,” he an- 
nounced. “ Each of you must try to make a 
statue of some sort out of the snow. You can 
shape the snow with your hands and trowel to 
make it what you please. Miss Patton has 
given us these charcoal sticks from the studio 
to help out with the facial expressions. Before 
you start work make up your mind what 
your subject for sculpturing will be, but keep 
it a secret. When the statues are all done, 
we’ll guess their identity.” 

The girls set to work with much laughter. 
No one seemed to have any trouble deciding 
upon a subject. 

“ You can’t guess whom I’m going to make,” 
said Nan mysteriously to Jean. *** 

“ No, I can’t,” admitted Jean, gazing at the 
mass of snow which Nan was shaping. “ Un- 
less it’s Daddy Richards — that looks some- 
what like his old slouch hat.” 

Nan giggled and went on adroitly using her 


Home-Made Color 189 

trowel with wonderful effectiveness. Jean 
tumbled her statue down twice and began all 
over again before she was satisfied with her 
efforts. She was thrown into a flurry by hear- 
ing Daddy Richards say that they could have 
only ten more minutes to complete their statues. 
She gave the last touches hurriedly to her 
funny snow-image as Daddy Richards came 
around to place a number on it. After he had 
numbered all the statues, he provided the 
girls with cards which were labeled “ Who's 
who ” at the top. 

“ Now make a tour of inspection and write 
your guesses down on the cards," he directed. 

The line of statues made a very comical 
array. Nobody had any trouble in guessing 
the identity of Clare's statue, for she had most 
successfully patted the snow into an image of 
Ho Chung. Daddy Richards had a good laugh 
at Nan’s production which was obviously 
intended for him. 

“ I couldn't get the nose right," apologized 
Nan. 


190 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

The inspection was highly diverting though 
it was rather difficult to tell what most of the 
statues were meant to be. Ann stopped short 
before Jean’s ridiculous looking statue and 
eyed it suspiciously. 

“ I don’t think it’s a bit nice of you to poke 
fun at me, Jean — trying to make a caricature 
of my new cap like that,” she flashed. 
“ You’re only jealous because you haven’t one 
like it.” 

She flounced off, leaving Jean looking after 
her in bewilderment. 

“ Write the correct names of your statues in 
charcoal below the numbers on the placards,” 
Daddy Richards called out, bringing the ani- 
mated guessing to an end. 

Jean’s eyes twinkled as she wrote the name 
of her snow-image in big letters : 

Indian Chief. 

She surveyed the head-dress which she had 
achieved with the aid of a few feathers and 
laughed to herself as Ann came bobbing up to 
read the name. 


Home-Made Color 191 

“ You see I didn’t intend my statue for you 
at all,” Jean said. 

“ Well, I thought so because my cap has 
feathers in it,” Ann answered, wondering 
why every one laughed so hard. 

Then followed another tour of inspection 
and with much merriment the girls corrected 
their “ Who’s who ” cards. 

Clare won the prize — a quaint bit of Japa- 
nese statuary — for the best snow-image of the 
lot. Then Daddy Richards took them in- 
doors to make the acquaintance of a papier- 
mach6 snowman with his arms full of pop- 
corn balls. 


CHAPTER XIII 

“ MISTER b’AR ” 

“ You’re getting to be a crack shot, Jean,” 
said Daddy Richards approvingly as he 
watched the girls at target practice early one 
morning of a December holiday. “ And Nan 
is just as good as you are at hitting the bull’s- 
eye.” 

Nan and Jean beamed with satisfaction, for 
it was the ambition of every girl at Triple X 
to win approval for good marksmanship. 

“ Yes, they can actu’lly aim straight and 
what’s more, hit what they aim at,” remarked 
Clancy, who, with Kin, had charge of the 
girls’ instruction in shooting. 

Kin and Clancy were two forest-rangers 
who kept watch over the woods of Triple X. 
They saw to it that there were no intruders 
bagging game or cutting timber about the 
place. They also guarded carefully against 
192 


“ Mister B’ar ” 


>93 


forest fires and kept the ranch free from pred- 
atory animals. They were big strong men 
who had taken on an air of freedom and 
buoyancy from their busy out-of-door life. 
They were great favorites with the girls, who 
awaited eagerly their occasional invitations to 
accompany them on short distance expedi- 
tions when they patrolled the forests. Since 
no girl was ever allowed to go with them un- 
less she could shoot well enough to be en- 
trusted with arms, this was a great incentive 
to diligent practice. 

“ You can come along with us this morn- 
ing, said Kin, in an offhand manner to Jean 
and Nan as they were cleaning their rifles. 
“ And you, too, Miss Caroline.” 

The trio hurried off in great glee to equip 
themselves with snow-shoes to wear in the 
deep hollows of the wood, where the snow 
had covered up the trails. They all felt very 
proud when Clancy handed them hunting 
belts and told them to bring their rifles along. 

“ Now, I reckon you’ll'be able to take care of 


194 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

any chance wolves or coyotes,” he said, laugh- 
ing at their air of importance as they ad- 
justed their belts. 

“ We’re goin’ to set some traps to-day, and 
I hope we get every last one of the coyotes 
that are around here. They’re a-gettin’ hun- 
gry and sassy these winter days — they come 
right down to the barn doors,” remarked Kin, 
showing them the supply of new traps which 
he carried. 

“ Mebbe we’ll land a lynx or two and 
some of the wolves I heard off somewheres in 
the canon last night,” went on Clancy, start- 
ing off with a great show of zest for the 
snowy trail into the woods. 

“ Oh, I hope we’ll see all sorts of animals,” 
exclaimed Nan ; “ just so they don’t eat us.” 

<r No fear of that,” answered Jean, “ with 
Clancy and Kin to protect us.” 

“ And our rifles,” added Caroline striking 
an exaggerated attitude of bravery. 

As they scouted along Wolf Creek, they 
could hear faint echoes of the water rushing 


“ Mister B’ar 99 


i95 

along under the ice which was not yet thick 
enough to quiet that racing stream entirely. 
Interestedly the girls paused now and then to 
watch Kin and Clancy set their traps and to 
listen to their talk. Clancy called their at- 
tention to all the trails in the snow and told 
how to distinguish them. 

“ Make a guess what these tracks are,” he 
said, pointing to some tiny prints by the path. 

“ Why, they look like a lace pattern,” ex- 
claimed Jean, stooping to examine the snow 
which was crossed by the delicate imprint of 
many tiny feet. “ I can’t guess what animal 
could make such a wonderful trail as that.” 

“ Nor I,” echoed Nan and Caroline. 

The girls followed the tracks to an old 
stump and peered inside curiously. 

“ Deer mice,” said Clancy. “ They’re 
tucked away inside there somewhere likely — 
sleepin’ after their dance in the moonlight. 
When the tracks are all crossed like that it’s 
because the mice have been havin’ a frolic. 
Hello — there’s elk around here too.” 


196 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

He examined the larger tracks and sud- 
denly came upon a new trail which brought 
Kin to his side with an excited exclamation. 

“ Mister B'ar or I miss my guess.” 

“ Ousted from the first forty winks of his 
winter nap,” continued Clancy. “ And these 
tracks have just been made to-day — they're 
not set yet. See how the loose snow falls 
around the edges and blurs 'em ? I wonder 
what he was a-runnin' so for ? I bet he didn’t 
waste any time gettin' across this path. You 
can tell he was goin' as fast as he could, be- 
cause the tracks are bunched — they're what 
we call runnin' tracks. He's been hurt too — 
here's blood along the trail.” 

“Oh — a bear,” shivered Nan, “and you 
said we couldn't shoot at bears. He'll be sure 
to eat us if he sees us.” 

“ Not much,” replied Kin, laughing heartily 
at Nan's look of consternation. “ He’ll never 
bother us if we don't bother him. Mister 
B'ar is on the white list along with the deer, 
the elk and the mountain sheep — we protect 


“ Mister B’ar ” 


i 97 


'em all we can and encourage 'em to stay in 
the Triple X forests. It's only the animals 
that do mischief that have to go. Mister B’ar 
is all right s’long as he gets enough to eat and 
nobody disturbs him. He takes the card for 
smartness — Mister B’ar does. He can hear 
and smell and see and think all at the same 
time, which is more'n the average animal can 
do. He’s always watchin’. I can tell you 
I’ve got a heap of respect for Mister B’ar.” 

“ But doesn’t he eat the darling little 
deer? What does he do for meat?” pursued 
Nan. 

“ He doesn’t eat much meat — he likes bet- 
ter the berries and honey and leaves with 
grubs and ants and old bark mixed in. And 
he’s the finest fisherman you ever saw. Why, 
I’ve seen Mister B’ar out on a log in the Big 
Pool, knockin’ fish out of the water fast as 
lightnin’ with his paw. And I’ve seen him 
right in the water by Trout Rock, standin’ 
waitin’ for the fish — and he always gets ’em 
too. He gets plenty of tree mice, too — he’s 


198 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

always eatin’ when he’s not asleep. We have 
yet to catch Mister B’ar after our cattle and 
until we do, no one at Triple X is goin’ to 
take a crack at him. Don’t be afraid — he’ll 
not come around and try to get acquainted 
as the deer do around the ranch. When 
Mister B’ar scents a human bein’ he scoots. 
It’s only when he’s cornered that he fights, 
and then he is some fighter. No one can beat 
him for courage and strength. I can tell you 
he knows how to use those strong claws and 
big jaws of his if he has to — and he never for- 
gets to use his wits too. We don’t see much 
of the bears this time of year, as most of ’em 
are beginnin’ their winter nap which lasts till 
the snow begins to melt.” 

“ Oh, I hope we’ll get a glimpse of one,” 
exclaimed Jean. “ I had no idea bears were 
so nice.” 

“ Nor I,” said Caroline, turning to scan 
Nan’s face. “ Are you still afraid, Nan ? ” 

“ No-o,” replied Nan, hesitatingly. u Not if 
Mister B’ar keeps far enough away.” 


“Mister B’ar” 199 

Clancy and Kin began looking more closely 
at the tracks and started to follow them. 

“ Oh, are you going to find the bear ? ” 
asked Jean, hopefully. “ I do want to see 
him so much.” 

“ We're just goin' to make out if we can 
what he was runnin' from and find how he 
got hurt,” replied Clancy. “ We'll not be out o' 
callin’ distance. You stay right here on Spruce 
Point, and we'll be back before you can say Jack 
Robinson. Blow your whistle if you need us.” 

The two men swung around to the left of 
the cliff and the girls could hear their voices 
close at hand as they studied the tracks and 
scanned the valley with their field-glasses. 
Caroline took out her pocket kodak and the 
girls soon became absorbed in securing some 
of the wonderful views which they could get 
from the Point. 

“ Goodness, there's the bear,” exclaimed 
Caroline suddenly as she was focussing her 
camera for a snap-shot of the ravine opposite. 
“ Just look.” 


200 A Little Princess of the Ranch 


Nan and Jean peered first at the reflection 
in the finder of the camera then looked across 
the ravine. Sure enough, there was the bear, 
reared for a moment on his haunches. He 
was sniffing the air suspiciously. 

Caroline snapped the kodak excitedly. 
She was just in time, for the bear dropped 
suddenly on all fours and ambled off in the 
opposite direction. 

“ I’m glad he’s going the other way,” Nan 
exclaimed with a gasp of relief. 

“ Look — he’s hurt,” cried Jean. “ It’s his 
foot — see how he limps.” 

The girls were watching the bear’s move- 
ments with intense interest when they heard 
a sudden crashing of the brush near them. 

“ It’s Kin and Clancy coming back,” said 
Caroline. 

“ No, it’s not — Kin and Clancy aren’t wear- 
ing plaid caps,” observed Jean. 

In a moment two strange men came in 
sight. Both were breathless. They stopped 
short at sight of the trio on the Point. 


“ Mister B’ar ” 


201 


“ Have you seen anything of a bear around 
here?” excitedly asked the leader, whose 
plaid sporting clothes were sadly rent by his 
dash through the woods. 

“ Are you looking for a bear ? ” inquired 
Caroline. 

“ Yes, we are. We trapped one and he got 
away from us,” answered the man, “ and we 
want to get hold of him again.” 

“ What do you want to do with him ? ” 
Jean asked. “ Are you going to shoot him ? ” 

“ Shoot him ? ” exclaimed the man. “ I 
should rather think not. We're Johnson 
and Paxton, vaudeville animal trainers and 
we’re going to train this bear for a new stunt. 
But what I'd like to find out is whether 
you've seen him.” 

He looked at them sharply. 

“ Yes, we have,” Caroline answered calmly. 

“ Where is he? ” cried the men eagerly. 

“ In my camera,” said Caroline. 

Both the men gave an ejaculation of dis- 
gust. 


202 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

“Tell us where you saw him,” said Mr. 
Johnson impatiently. 

“We’ll not tell you,” replied Jean with 
spirit. “ You’re not going to have our bear 
to dress him up and make people laugh.” 

“ Your bear?” questioned Mr. Johnson in 
astonishment. “ You don’t mean to say 
you’ve caught him ? ” 

“ No, we haven’t — and we’re not going to 
let any one else catch him,” piped up Nan 
courageously. 

“ Well, let’s be moving on,” said Mr, Pax- 
ton shortly to his companion. 

“ Not so fast,” said Clancy’s voice. 

Kin and Clancy came suddenly around the 
cliff. 

Mr. Paxton eyed them speculatively. 

“ Maybe you can help us out — we’re after 
a bear that got loose from us. Can you help 
us find him? ” 

“ You’d like us to get the bear back into 
your hands ? ” inquired Clancy tentatively. 

“ That’s the idea,” answered Mr. Johnson. 


“ Mister B’ar ” 


203 


" We’ll make it worth your trouble. We’ve 
not got much time to fool away and the 
sooner we get our bear the better. What do 
you say to earning some good money ? ” 

Clancy looked sidewise at Kin with a 
twinkle in his eyes. 

“ What may you be doin’ with Mister 
B’ar ? ” he asked. 

“ Vaudeville,” replied Mr. Johnson. 

“ I don’t know that I rightly understand 
just what that might mean for Mister 
B’ar ? ” 

“ Vaudeville’s a place where people go to 
be amused by all sorts of stunts, you know. 
There are usually some trained animals of one 
kind or another that do some tricks to make 
a change from sleight of hand performances, 
songs and dances and acrobatic feats,” an- 
swered Mr. Johnson impatiently. 

“ And what’d Mr. B’ar do? ” 

“ Oh, we’d likely teach him to dance — 
dress him up like Uncle Sam or a clown.” 

11 Mr. B’ar with clothes on,” exclaimed 


204 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

Clancy. “ You don't expect any self-re- 
spectin' b'ar to stand that, do you? " 

“ They have to stand it — they soon learn 
that it's best for 'em to stand it." 

“ Sho now, gentlemen," protested Kin, “ a 
bear ought to have fair play — but I reckon 
people don't consider that s'long as they've 
got to be amused. 'Pears to me people ought 
to have enough sense to pass the time them- 
selves, 'thout draggin' dumb animals outen 
the woods. On the stage, eh ? Jest to think 
of it — an animal, that never was meant to see 
any lights but the moon and stars and sun, 
a-havin' to blink at them footlights in a hot 
shet-up place." 

“ We didn't ask for a sermon," broke in 
Mr. Paxton. “ We want to know if you'll 
help us find the bear. The young ladies here 
say they saw him." 

“ I guess there's about as much chance of 
your takin' that bear as there is of your takin' 
us," answered Clancy. “ Mebbe now you 
didn't see the sign ‘ No Poachers Allowed ' ? " 


“ Mister B’ar ” 


205 


The men’s faces darkened. 

“ You’re not goin’ to take any bear from the 
Triple X woods to-day nor any other day so 
long as we can help it,” continued Clancy. 
“ Kin here will show you the road that’ll take 
you in the right direction. You see, we sort 
of have the say so about what goes on in these 
forests.” 

When the poachers understood that they 
were in the hands of the forest-rangers, they 
gave up to the situation with a great show of 
amiability and went off with Kin in jocular 
fashion. 

“ Well,” remarked Clancy tersely, as he 
watched them disappear, “ I’m glad we've 
seen the last of those fellows. Now we’ll have 
something to eat.” 

Clancy piled up some rocks and the girls 
helped lay the fire. Soon the bacon was siz- 
zling in the little pan which Clancy produced. 
Jean broke the eggs and scrambled them in 
the bacon grease and Nan toasted the bread on 
a long forked stick. Caroline busied herself 


206 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

unwrapping the little packages which Mummy 
Richards had thrust into their pockets at the 
last minute. 

“ Fudge,” she announced joyfully, “ and 
salted nuts.” 

“ I never ate anything before that tasted so 
good as this meal,” exclaimed Jean, putting 
more bacon into the pan. 

“ Poor Kin will have to go back to the 
ranch house to eat — he’s missed all this fun 
of eatin’ out-of-doors,” remarked Clancy re- 
gretfully. 

“ I’m sorry he’s not here, but I’m glad we 
can have his share,” said Caroline apprecia- 
tively taking her last bite. 

“ Get out your camera — quick,” cried Nan, 
pointing excitedly toward the slope near 
them. 

“ Deer ! ” exclaimed Jean breathlessly. 

Caroline whisked out her camera and 
snapped a picture of the two beautiful deer 
which were looking toward them inquiringly, 
quite unafraid. 


“ Mister B’ar ” 207 

“ The deer are the friendliest animals of the 
woods,” Clancy said. “ They seem to want to 
get acquainted. They’re never afraid unless 
man shows ’em he’s not their friend.” 

During the day Caroline had the opportu- 
nity to get many more pictures of the forest 
creatures. An elk accommodatingly posed for 
her unawares. The many rabbits which were 
whisking about over tree stumps in such 
funny attitudes gave the girls the idea of get- 
ting bunny pictures for the gift-book. 

“I’m glad we didn’t see wolves or anything 
we had to kill,” Jean said as they started back 
to the house. 

“ Who says we didn’t get any game? ” asked 
Caroline, flourishing her camera, full of pre- 
cious films. “ I call it the best sport of all 
to hunt with a kodak.” 


CHAPTER XIV 


A NEW FRIEND 

“ Oh, dear, why doesn’t my cranberry jelly 
1 jell ’ ? ” wailed Jean distractedly, looking at 
her glass of jelly after the cooking lesson 
which Mummy Richards had given them in 
the big kitchen. 

“I can tell you,” Nan said quickly. “ You 
have put in too much sugar. You didn’t 
measure the pulp after you had put it 
through the sieve. You didn’t put in ex- 
actly an equal amount of sugar before you 
boiled it the last time.” 

Jean regarded Nan’s glass mournfully. 

“ Yours is just right. It’s going to make a 
beautiful mold. Everything you cook is al- 
ways perfect, Nan.” 

“ It’s because I’ve tried so hard to learn ex- 
actly how. I’ve found out I must pay atten- 
tion to the little things in my cooking or it’ll 
208 


A New Friend 


209 


not turn out well. I’m trying to learn how 
to cook, for I’ve hit on a plan to make money 
when I leave Triple X,” Nan confided with 
shining eyes. 

“ Oh, tell me about it,” exclaimed Jean 
with eager interest. 

“ I’m going to make jellies — put up fruit 
in all sorts of ways when I get back home.” 

“ And you’re going to set up a dear little 
shop in Perry,” finished Jean eagerly. 

“ No, of course not,” answered Nan, laugh- 
ing. “ Who would buy my wares in Perry 
where every woman prides herself on putting 
up the best fruit in town ? I’m going to find 
a market for it in Chicago. Mummy Rich- 
ards thinks I can. She says that really fine 
home-made jelly, marmalade and conserve 
will sell very quickly through some Woman’s 
Exchange, or maybe if I work hard enough I 
could sell to a wholesale house.” 

Jean’s eyes grew round with surprise at 
Nan’s big plan. Yet as she listened to Nan 
talk about it and caught the determined note 


210 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

in her voice Jean had not the faintest doubt 
of the outcome. 

“ You can do it,” she cried confidently. 
“ Oh, Nan, how did you ever think of such a 
fine way to make money ? " 

“ The idea came to me a long time ago 
when we first began our cooking lessons. I 
just love puttering about in the kitchen, and 
I'd rather have my cooking turn out well 
than stand first in French or anything else. 
I can't think of anything I’d rather do when 
I leave Triple X. Learning to cook scientif- 
ically is going to be worth while to me. 
Mummy Richards is going to help me decide 
on a specialty. I think it’ll be spiced canta- 
loupe. You know we raise heaps of 'em on 
our land by the river." 

“ Spiced cantaloupe is just the thing. You 
can make it as well as Mummy Richards her- 
self." 

“ Oh, not quite," protested Nan, modestly, 
“ but perhaps I can learn." 

“ Of course you can. You'll be a big sue- 


A New Friend 


211 


cess. You have a perfect genius for cooking. 
Oh, dear, I wish I could cook well enough to 
beg for a partnership but I'm afraid I wouldn’t 
do at all. I’m always in too big a hurry 
when I cook — I never do it well.” 

“ You can do so many other things,” broke 
in Nan admiringly. 

“ I can only whistle and dance a little and 
write jingles — nothing much when you come 
to count up. But I’m learning to be a penny 
whistler, and enjoy doing little things with- 
out grieving all the time because I’m not a 
genius at anything.” 

“But you are,” insisted Nan. “You’re a 
genius at making friends.” 

Jean gave Nan a little shake by way of 
playful reproval. 

“ How can you say that ? Remember Ann 
and her set.” 

Nan raised her eyebrows and put her head 
on one side. 

“ You told me once that girls like Ann 
didn’t count,” she observed quizzically. 


212 A Little Princess of the Ranch 


“ I’ve found out, Nan, that they do count. 
Everybody counts. If I ‘ dovetailed ’ properly 
I could be friends with them.” 

“ But it’s not your fault. They began 
it.” 

“ It’s more my fault than you think,” Jean 
replied slowly. “ Lately Ann and Lilian and 
the rest of them have been more friendly in 
lots of little ways, but I just wouldn’t meet 
them half-way. Something keeps pulling me 
back and makes me stand-offish. It’s that old 
stubborn pride of mine. It’s hard for me to 
forget all the mean things they’ve done and 
the way they’ve acted toward us both.” 

“ I know,” Nan said, nodding soberly. 
“ I’ve known what was going on though I 
didn’t say anything. The girls like you — 
they just couldn’t help it. I knew they 
would come to it. I can’t blame you one bit 
for standing off, Jean, but I’m sorry.” 

Jean looked inquiringly at her friend. 

“ You mean ” 

11 I mean it’s a pity that you can’t put your 


A New Friend 213 

pride in your pocket. Ann's first-rate in lots 
of ways and so are the others." 

“ Nan, you're a trump," Jean cried. “ You 
make me ashamed of myself. I can see 
that these girls want to be friends with you 
too." 

“ I didn't want to be friends unless you 
were so I pretended not to notice any change," 
admitted Nan. 

“ And I kept you from being friends with 
them." 

“ Never mind, we can make up for lost 
time if you are willing." 

“ Are you willing, Nan ? Could you for- 
get everything ? " 

“ Yes, I believe I could. What’s the use re- 
membering ? " 

“ You’re right about it," Jean said humbly. 
“ I'm going off by myself to think it out be- 
fore dinner time." 

Jean started off down the long hall with 
the feeling that she was going to have a hard 
battle with herself. She was so taken up with 


214 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

her thoughts that she plumped directly against 
some one who was walking slowly around the 
corner. The afternoon light had almost gone, 
so the hall was dim. 

“ Oh, I beg your pardon,” Jean exclaimed, 
peering to see the person she jostled. 

“ It's nothing,” replied Lilian Arlington. 

Jean was surprised to hear a sob. 

“ Oh, did I hurt you?” she asked, anx- 
iously. 

“ No-o,” answered Lilian, burying her face 
in her handkerchief and sobbing afresh. 

“ What’s the matter, then?” Jean in- 
quired with a note of cordiality in her voice 
which surprised herself as much as Lilian. 

Lilian looked up and revealed a pair of 
very red eyes. For a moment she hesitated, 
then something in Jean's face impelled her to 
speak. 

“ It's Ann,” she sobbed. 

“ Ann ? What's happened to Ann ? ” 

“ I don't know. She won't tell me. She 
won't even let me into her room. But some- 


A New Friend 


215 


thing’s the matter — something dreadful, or 
she’d let me in ” Lilian burst out impul- 

sively, then as if in sudden fright, she checked 
herself and fled down the corridor. 

“ Well, I declare,” exclaimed Jean, gazing 
in astonishment after Lilian’s vanishing fig- 
ure. Jean started on to her own room, then 
suddenly turned off toward Ann’s. 

She knocked at Ann’s door softly. There 
was no response. She knocked again a little 
louder. Slowly the door opened and Ann 
peeped out. Her hair was disheveled and her 
face was tear stained. 

“ Oh, I thought it was Mummy Richards — 
you knocked just the way she does,” Ann 
said in confusion. 

“ May I come in ? ” Jean asked. 

Ann shot a suspicious glance at her, then 
opened the door for her to enter. Jean was 
surprised to see Ann’s clothes lying in confu- 
sion about the room. A suit-case was in the 
middle of the floor. 

“ Why, Ann, what’s the trouble?” 


216 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

Ann sat down sullenly on the bed, and for 
a moment said nothing. She looked at Jean 
darkly. 

“ You’ve come to crow over me,” she cried 
hotly. “ You’ve found out, and you’re 
glad.” 

“ What in the world are you talking about, 
Ann ? I haven’t an idea what the trouble is. 
I met Lilian in the hall and she told me you 
wouldn’t let her in. She was afraid some- 
thing was the matter. I came to see if I could 
help you.” 

“ Why should you come to help me, Jean 
Kingsley, after I’ve been so hateful to you ? ” 

“ Don’t think about that now,” begged 
Jean. “ Tell me what has made you cry and 
let me help.” 

“ No one can help,” cried Ann wildly. 
“ I’m going to pack my suit-case and run 
away. I’ll get away from the ranch some- 
how without any one’s knowing.” 

“ Nonsense, Ann, you could never do that. 
Besides, what do you want to leave for ? ” 


A New Friend 


217 

“ Oh, I can’t bear to stay and face the girls 
after what I’ve done.” 

“ What have you done, Ann ? ” 

“ Don’t you know ? Truly ? ” questioned 
Ann. 4< I supposed every one knew by this 
time. Hasn’t Mademoiselle told? Oh, Jean, 
I copied my French story, every word of it, 
from an old book I found in the attic and 
handed it in as original.” 

“ Not really,” gasped Jean. “ Oh, Ann, 
you must have known you would be found 
out.” 

“ I didn’t think that far ahead. I just 
wanted to get the story off my hands — I 
didn’t think until afterward how foolish it 
was. Of course Mademoiselle would know it 
wasn’t mine — oh, dear, oh, dear.” 

For a number of weeks the girls had all 
been working upon original French stories 
which were to stand as examples of their work 
in the language. The stories took the place 
of tests and every girl was eager to show her 
knowledge of all the verbs and idioms which 


218 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

had taken so much time to master. The 
stories had been handed in that morning. 

“ You put off working on yours so long that 
you didn’t have time to write one — was that 
it?” questioned Jean, knowing Ann’s habit 
of dawdling over her French lessons. 

“ Yes, it was. You know I can’t get French 
quickly, and I just couldn’t get those old 
verbs straight when I started my story. I’ve 
been so lazy about my verbs. I kept putting 
it off and putting it off. I wanted to get a 
good report so much. You see, father wrote 
that if I’d master my French we’d motor 
through France this summer. So I just 
couldn’t fail.” 

“ But, Ann, you’ve done worse than fail.” 

“ I know,” sobbed Ann. “ I’m disgraced 
forever.” 

“ No, you aren’t. Listen to me, Ann, — 
don’t cry so hard. Perhaps Mademoiselle 
herself doesn’t even know about the story yet 
because she has been in the Cure Room all 
day with a bad headache. If you want me 


A New Friend 


219 


to go ask her for your story, I'll go get it 
back for you, and perhaps she’ll allow you to 
write another. After you’ve written a really 
good one yourself you can tell her all about 
it. Perhaps, after all, it may turn out better 
than you think.” 

“ Oh, do get it back — do,” begged Ann des- 
perately. “ I'd give anything to have the 
story back and tear it into a thousand pieces.” 

Jean ran out of the room and, after what 
seemed hours to Ann, returned triumphant 
with the story in her hand. 

“ Oh, you got it, you got it for me,” cried 
Ann, snatching it and starting to tear it into 
bits. 

“ Yes — without any trouble. I went to the 
Cure Room and asked to speak to Mad- 
emoiselle. At first Mummy said no, then 
when I told her it was important she allowed 
me to see Mademoiselle for a minute. I told 
her that you wished to have your story back 
— that you wanted to write another and that 
you would tell her why. She told me that 


220 A Little Princess of the Ranch 


I might get the story for you from her desk. 
She hadn't looked at any of them. So no 
one knows except you and me." 

“ Oh, but the worst of it is I can't write a 
story all by myself. I don't know my verbs 
well enough." 

“ You can learn them. You've no idea 
how quickly they straighten themselves out 
if you study hard. You can write as good a 
story as any one if you’ll only try. Let me 
help you with your verbs. You can say them 
to me and we’ll drill together till you get 
them." 

Jean extracted Ann's French grammar 
from the debris on the table and started the 
list of irregular verbs. At first Ann put her 
fingers in her ears, then finally began giving 
the principal parts as best she could. 

“ Jean, you're a dear," Ann said impul- 
sively, stopping in the middle of a verb to 
pop a kiss upon Jean's forehead. “ I feel ever 
so much better already, and if you’ll only 
help me and stand by me I'll find courage 


A New Friend 221 

somehow to tell Mademoiselle about the first 
story.” 

“ Of course I'll stand by you,” promised 
Jean, “ and I'll give you no peace till you 
learn these verbs. All you need is some one 
to keep prodding you.” 


CHAPTER XV 


FRONTIER DAY 

“ The last of our snow fort has melted I " 
announced Nan, taking a peep out the win- 
dow one bright March morning. 

“ I don't know whether to be glad or sorry," 
Jean commented, looking over Nan's shoulder 
at the place where the big snow fort had 
stood for so long. “ We've had such good 
times at our snowball battles." 

“Yes, but just think of the good times 
Daddy Richards has promised us as soon as 
the snow goes." 

“ I know — there's no end to the fun at 
Triple X and spring will be wonderful here." 

They found the big hall crowded with the 
girls who were eagerly watching Clare put up 
some posters upon which she had been work- 
ing secretly. 


222 


Frontier Day 223 

“ Frontier Day, March the twenty-fifth,” 
Jean read excitedly. “ Oh, what is it ? What 
does this picture of a girl with the lariat in 
her hand mean ? ” 

“ We’re going to have all sorts of riding 
and roping contests on Frontier Day,” Betty 
explained. “ Run and double, saddling, 
and all sorts of things. The cowboys are 
going to have maverick races and — oh, wait 
and see what thrills the day will bring.” 

“ Potato races,” shouted Jess, hastily put- 
ting her name down first on the entry poster. 

Then followed a great buzz of excitement. 
Every one wanted to enter for every sort of 
race. 

“ I can’t do one thing with a lariat, but 
I’m going to put my name down anyhow 
for the rope-throwing contest,” said Louise. 
“ Maybe I can learn before Frontier Day ar- 
rives.” 

“ And I’m going to enter the saddling con- 
test,” declared Lilian, at which every one 
laughed, for Lilian had not so far mastered 


224 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

the first principles of saddling. Some one 
always had to go to her rescue even to tighten 
a strap. 

“ I'm going in for ‘ broncho busting,' " 
cried Helen, interestedly studying the pro- 
gram. 

“ Read the announcement again," suggested 
Daddy Richards, laughing. 

“ Oh, dear," sighed Helen. “ It's just for 
the cowboys." 

“ You'll be glad of that when you see the 
bronchos," Daddy Richards said. “ You 
wouldn't want to tackle them. You'll have 
more fun watching the cowboys try their 
hand at them." 

“ Oh, we'll see some of the cattle branded, 
too," exclaimed Jess, delightedly. 

“ And Little Wrangler is going to do bare- 
back stunts," read Nan. “ What an exciting 
day it's going to be ! " 

During the next few days, which were 
luckily fair, the girls spent all their spare 
time out-of-doors practicing for the contests. 


225 


Frontier Day 

“ I can never learn to lasso anything,” de- 
cided Jess in despair after trying in vain for 
several days to get her rope over a post. 

u Try r0 pj n g something alive,” suggested 
Jean. “ The deer or me,” 

The pet deer, accustomed to receiving deli- 
cacies from Jess, showed considerable resent- 
ment when she tried to get the rope over their 
necks. They soon ran off into the shrubbery 
and peered out with mild astonishment at the 
antics of their friend. Jess then took Jean 
at her word, and after many persistent efforts 
succeeded in lassoing her when she stood still 
and waited for the rope to descend, but when 
she ran, Jess was reduced again to hopeless- 
ness. 

Daddy Richards interrupted this spirited 
practice by calling them into Judge Boone's 
shop. 

“ Some work for you,” Judge Boone said, 
waving his hand toward the long table strewn 
with birch bark and various kinds of wood. 
“ During all this excitement over Frontier 


226 A Little Princess of the Ranch 


Day, we’ve almost forgotten the birds. We’re 
going to make some bird-houses.” 

Some of the girls were already at work, 
busily constructing foundations out of soft 
pine and covering them with birch bark. 
Jean and Jess hurriedly searched about for 
extra hammers and tacks. 

“ I’m going to make a wren bracket with 
an overhanging roof,” Jean decided quickly. 

“ I’m making a cabin for bluebirds,” Nan 
called out to her, “ as nearly like the one at 
home as I can, except the porch. I s’pose 
wrens don’t need porches.” 

She held up a miniature cabin which she was 
carefully constructing from cedar branches, 
cut to look like logs. She raised it high 
above her head so all the girls could see. 

“ I think it’s going to be beautiful,” Ann 
exclaimed so sincerely that Nan beamed with 
surprise and pleasure. 

Racing was in the air. The girls hurried to 
see which would be the first to set a bird-house 
up in the trees. 


227 


Frontier Day 

“ Oh, if only I hadn’t decided upon an apart- 
ment house for martins,” exclaimed Betty, 
very soon discovering that all the other girls 
were far ahead of her. 

Helen was the first to hold up her com- 
pleted work — a lodge for woodpeckers which 
looked like a hollow log. She dashed out tri- 
umphantly to select a place for it. Soon all 
the girls were laughing and singing under the 
trees. Lilian amused every one by putting 
above the entrance to her bird-house a To Let 
sign which stated hospitably : 

“ No objection to music practice.” 

The first suggestion of spring was in the 
air and the girls found it hard to spend a 
minute indoors. 

“ Oh, dear — those verbs,” sighed Ann. “ I 
want to practice for Frontier Day.” 

“ Come indoors right away,” said Jean laugh- 
ingly. “ We must go over them again together. 
Frontier Day practice will have to wait.” 

Frontier Day dawned wonderfully clear and 
bright— just the sort of early spring day 


228 A Little Princess of the Ranch 


which makes the blood stir with new buoy- 
ancy. The girls assembled eagerly to watch 
the “ broncho-busting ” which opened the 
Frontier Day program. A dozen of the cow- 
boys entered the corral where some horses 
stood about looking peaceable enough without 
a sign of their bad dispositions except a glint 
in their eyes. 

“ Those horses are what we call * outlaws ’ — 
none of them has ever been broken to the 
saddle. They are wild and untamed, and 
glory in their strength.” 

The “ outlaws ” were really beautiful crea- 
tures — lithe and supple, full of proud vigor. 
Each cowboy tried to rope a broncho and then 
the excitement began. Outside the corral in 
the open field beside the half-mile track, lay 
the saddles all in a row. It was a race to see 
which man could saddle his horse and ride 
first around the track. The outlaws, cun- 
ningly roped by the expert cowboys, were led 
into a shute and blindfolded. Strangely 
enough, the bad-tempered animals became 


229 


Frontier Day 

tractable the instant the cloth was placed over 
their eyes, so the saddling took only a few 
moments. But as soon as the cloths were re- 
moved, the outlaws began to buck and kick, to 
jostle and snap in a desperate effort to get free. 
They showed a cunning viciousness that made 
the girls gasp. Mounting was proof of fine 
strategy on the part of the cowboys. The 
outlaws seemed most of the time up in the 
air, sky-rocketing this way and that, side- 
winding, doing everything except what the 
cowboys tried to get them to do. The mo- 
ment any of the cowboys succeeded in mount- 
ing the outlaw would either lie down, hitting 
the ground with a smashing pound, or buck 
so hard and fast that his would-be rider could 
not stay in the saddle more than a second at a 
time. Finally, three of the cowboys managed 
to stay on long enough to make their mastery 
felt and the conquered outlaws shot around 
the field in a wild dash. Great was the shout- 
ing from the spectators, for the race was keen 
and exciting. 


230 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

“ Long Tim wins on Hot Foot,” mega- 
phoned the Little Wrangler, who was acting 
as referee. 

Long Tim, secure in his control over his 
mount, finished the race triumphantly. The 
girls swung their sombreros high in the air as 
Daddy Richards presented the Triple X 
championship belt to the hero of the mo- 
ment. 

Then followed other contests among the 
cowboys, and the girls learned the meaning 
of many strange phrases on the posters. In 
“ riding slick,” or without saddles, the cow- 
boys flashed about the field, remaining on 
their mounts, it seemed, only by miraculous 
chance. When the “ maverick race ” was 
called one steer was driven from the corral 
and the mounted cowboys started in pursuit, 
whooping rhythmically and swinging their 
ropes in wide swirls. There was a stampede 
for the opportunity to swing the loop over 
the long horns of the “ spider-leg,” as the men 
called the plunging steer. All in a few sec- 


231 


Frontier Day 

onds, the Little Wrangler made his way 
through the jam, whirled his rope swiftly and 
holding the steer taut, won the race. 

Very interestedly the girls watched Pete, 
one of the youngest cowboys, “ rope a long- 
horn.” Breathless, the spectators saw a Texas 
long-horn plunge across the field, with Pete 
following on his trained “ cow-pony.” The 
cow-pony, with wonderful intelligence, with- 
out a word from Pete, followed the steer. The 
steer could not make a turn that the quick 
pony did not anticipate until he brought his 
rider near enough to let the loop leap from 
his hand and drop over the head of the long- 
horn. Then the cow-pony passed the steer 
adroitly and with a strong swerve, turned 
the steer over or “ busted ” him. Pete then 
jumped out of the saddle and ran toward the 
vanquished steer to hog-tie him, leaving the 
pony to hold the rope. In less than thirty 
seconds Pete accomplished this feat of skill. 
It was now the girls’ turn to show their 
ability in a saddling contest — but not with 


232 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

the “ outlaws.” The horses which the girls 
rode every day were let loose in the corral. 
The horses needed no roping. Most of them 
came to the call. The girls bridled them and 
led them quickly into the field where the 
saddles lay. 

“ Oh, my fingers are all thumbs,” cried 
Ann, excitedly trying to strap her saddle 
tightly enough. 

The girls who were most deft at buckling 
were the first to start across the field. Nan 
led the riders with Betty, Caroline and Jean 
close behind. To the surprise of every one 
Lilian managed to get off among the first. 
Nan held her own and won the race by several 
yards. There was a great cheering as Nan rode 
back for her blue ribbon. 

“ I think Beaut ought to have the blue 
ribbon,” insisted Nan, fastening it to her 
horse's bridle. “ Beaut ran her very best. She 
knows she's won.” 

“ I believe Star-face feels very much crest- 
fallen,” Jean said laughingly patting her 


Frontier Day 233 

horse. “ Never mind, Star-face, you are en- 
tered for the hurdle race.” 

Star-face took advantage of the opportunity 
to win a race and took the hurdles with 
wonderful swiftness. Jean kept her saddle 
bravely. The spectators never guessed what 
timidity she had had to conquer to attempt 
hurdling. The blue ribbon meant something 
more to her than the mere victory of a race. 

Most interesting was the fancy rope throw- 
ing by the Little Wrangler, who could make 
his lariat turn the most extraordinary figures 
in the air. He kept his rope circling about 
him, now high, now low, with as much ease 
apparently as the girls flipped their riding 
crops. After the Little Wrangler's exhibition 
of skill the girls' lariat contest was very funny, 
but every one enjoyed it, the participants as 
well as the spectators. Jess was very proud 
of getting her rope accidentally over the neck 
of Bob, the big collie which so good-naturedly 
helped out in the contests. 

After this the girls watched the final round- 


234 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

up of hundreds of cattle which Daddy Richards 
was adding to the ranch. It was a pretty 
sight to see — the great mass of animals mov- 
ing in from the drive under the cracking of 
the cowboys’ ropes. 

“ Look at the darling little calves — oh, I 
know they’ll get hurt,” cried Jean solicitously 
watching the little red and white calves which 
somehow kept close to their mothers in the 
surging progress. 

“ Don’t worry,” said Caroline who had seen 
many a round-up. “ The cowboys drive so 
cleverly that the calves are never crowded.” 

Jean looked with considerable respect at the 
men who had brought the cattle in, every one 
safe and sound after the long drive. 

Betty remounted her horse, swung her lariat, 
and electrified the girls by roping a steer for 
branding. 

“ Betty ought to have a blue ribbon for that, 
even if it wasn’t a contest. Please give her 
one, Daddy Richards,” begged Caroline. 

All the girls set up the cry, “ A blue ribbon 


Frontier Day 235 

for Betty,” and Daddy Richards very proudly 
brought Betty forward for her share of glory. 

“ I’m going to win at something,” declared 
Jess, “ if it's only the potato race.” 

Her determination combined with her 
fleet-footedness made her the possessor of a 
victor’s ribbon in the potato race and the 
relay race as well. 

There were so many new challenges that 
by the end of the day every one had a blue 
ribbon for something or other. 

“ How proud I’ll be to write Tubby that I 
won in the hurdle race,” exclaimed Jean 
when she talked the glorious day over with 
Nan. “ I’m so sleepy I can hardly see, but 
I’m going to write a letter before I go to 
sleep. Tubby never thought I’d learn to hur- 
dle and he can take any hedge or fence with- 
out ever taking a header.” 


CHAPTER XVI 


RECROWNED 

“ Triple X has no end of fascinating days 
in its calendar,” commented Louise as Jean 
joined her for an early walk before breakfast. 
“ Mummy Richards has just told me that this 
is to be Flower Day.” 

“ Flower Day ? ” questioned Jean. “ What 
are we going to do ? ” 

“ I haven't the ghost of an idea, but I 
know it will turn out tip-top, like Nan’s 
cakes.” 

Daddy Richards gave them an inkling of 
how Flower Day was going to begin by an- 
nouncing after breakfast that they should 
arm themselves with their rakes. 

“ We’ll uncover our flower-beds this morn- 
ing,” guessed Nan excitedly. 

There was a great rush for the rakes. Very 
236 



< 6 


1 > 


MY TULIPS ARE UP 





Recrowned 


2 37 

eagerly the girls received the word from 
Daddy Richards to remove the coverings of 
leaves and pine-boughs from their flower-beds. 

“ Oh, here are my little irises — the ones 
that look like harlequins,” exclaimed Helen 
with delight. “ I can feel the buds in the 
tight sheaths.” 

“ My snowdrops will be in bloom before 
you can say Jack Robinson,” cried Jean 
ecstatically. 

“ My tulips are up,” shouted Caroline tri- 
umphantly. 

“ And my daffodils,” added Nan, holding 
out her hands to start a “ Ring-around-the- 
rosy dance.” 

Jubilant over these proofs of successful 

{ gardening, the girls danced gaily about their 
flower-beds. Then they energetically heaped 
the leaves and boughs together in a huge pile. 

“ We are going to have a bonfire to-night 
— after dinner,” Betty confided. “ Let’s 
make it just as big as we can.” 

That night the dining-room was gay with 


238 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

Nan's narcissus and Ann's roses from the in- 
door garden-room. 

“ I'm dying of fright," whispered Nan to 
Jean when Dr. Hans told the girls that Nan 
was going to entertain them by telling some of 
the things she had learned about her flower. 

“ Nonsense, Nan, you can do it beautifully," 
replied Jean encouragingly. 

Very bravely Nan told the myth of Echo 
and Narcissus, and recited Goldsmith's “ On a 
Beautiful Youth " and Cowper's “ On an 
Ugly Fellow " with such irresistible charm 
that every one clapped vigorously 

Ann told how, according to mythology, the 
rose grew from the blood of “ the lovely 
Adonis." Then she gave an interesting ac- 
count of this beautiful flower in history. 

“ I'll never forget the War of the Roses 
now," she said in conclusion. 

Then she took her violin and played 
Burns's ballad, “ My Love is like a Red, Red 
Rose," which the girls sang together sweetly. 

“ Now we must have ‘ Wie die wilde Rose 


Recrowned 


239 

im Walde,’ ” begged Dr. Hans, “ and * Heid- 
enroslein.’ ” 

Heartily he led the singing of these airs, 
which he loved dearly. Then the girls 
trouped out-of-doors, where the bonfire leaped 
high. They added to the brightness of the 
blaze by throwing on pine-cones until the 
flames seemed to leap straight into the blue 
night sky. 

“ Oh, how good it smells,” exclaimed Jess. 
“ It makes me think of all sorts of spring 
things — fishing and skipping the rope and 
Easter eggs.” 

“ Easter eggs — that makes me remember I 
must coax the bunnies to come out of the 
woods,” said Mummy Richards with delightful 
suggestion. 

Before the evening was over she had a 
mysterious chat with Jean and Nan which 
aroused the girls’ curiosity to a high pitch. 
Not until Easter morning, however, was their 
curiosity gratified. 

Early Easter morning Mummy Richards 


240 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

started the girls upon an egg hunt. Hither 
and thither the girls raced over the lawn, 
searching under the lilac bushes, in the shrub- 
bery and even in the trees, without finding 
anything to reward them. The breakfast bell 
interrupted their search. 

“ I just venture that the Little Wrangler 
has pocketed the eggs just to tease us,” said 
Betty, rushing into the dining-room at the 
head of the hungry and disappointed girls. 

“ 0-oh ” rose a long-drawn chorus of de- 

light and surprise. 

In the middle of each table was a nest of 
violets and smilax, full of wonderfully tinted 
eggs, guarded by white bunnies. 

“ Choose a fortune egg, each one of you,” 
said Mummy Richards, laughing with pleasure 
at the success of her plan to give the girls a 
real surprise. 

“ Fortune eggs — oh, who made them?” 
asked Clare, giving an investigative poke at a 
particularly pretty pink egg. “ Why, they’re 
candy.” 


Recrowned 


241 


“ And there's something tucked under the 
ribbons," exclaimed Helen. “ I just can't wait 
any longer to choose mine." 

Quickly she selected an orange-colored egg 
and unfolded the bit of paper to read : 

“ 4 This egg of orange means for you 

A wish deferred will soon come true.* ** 

After much deliberation Ann chose a white 
one. Her face glowed as she read her fortune 
to herself. 

“ Read it aloud," said Daddy Richards. 
“ We are all going to share our rhymes." 

11 i The one who gets this egg of white 
Will rise ere long to fame and might,* ** 

Ann read with very pink cheeks. 

“ Why not? You have only to work hard 
enough on your music," Mummy Richards re- 
marked confidently. 

“ I'm going to take a green one," decided 
Betty quickly slipping out the rhyme : 

“ * This egg of green holds subtle charm, 

To keep you safe from any harm.* ** 


242 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

“ You need some charm to keep you from 
breaking your neck,” exclaimed Daddy Rich- 
ards. “ You’re always trying something new 
and venturesome. Now I shall not have to 
worry at all.” 

“ Read yours, Lilian,” begged Helen. 

u 1 This fortune egg of yellow hue 
Brings unexpected gold to you/ ” 

she read. “ Isn’t that jolly ? I hope it means 
a big check from home.” 

“ Listen to mine,” cried Jess laughing. 

u 1 The one who gets this egg of red 
Will always lead and ne’er be led.’ 

Now don’t any of you ever try to order me 
about.” 

“ Mine’s the nicest,” exclaimed Louise tri- 
umphantly. 

“ 1 The one who gets this egg of rose 
Will freedom win from all his woes/ 

That means I’m not going to have any more 
aches and pains.” 


Recrowned 


243 

“ Where did these rhymes come from?” 
questioned Caroline eagerly. 

“ And the beautiful eggs ? ” asked Clare. 
" Please tell us, Mummy Richards.” 

“ Nan made the eggs for us,” answered 
Mummy Richards. “ She colored them with 
orange, wintergreen, violets and so on. 
They’re perfectly harmless, and very delicious, 
I can assure you, for I've tested them. Jean 
wrote the rhymes and fashioned the nests.” 

“ Three cheers for the Country Twins,” 
cried the girls enthusiastically. 

Nan hid her face shyly against Jean’s shoul- 
der. The girls all laughed at her confusion 
and made her lift her head. 

“ Look up and let us thank you for doing 
so much for us,” said Jess, patting Nan’s head 
affectionately. 

“ Your rhymes are the best ever, Jean,” 
declared Lilian. “ You must be a witch, for 
we all got just the fortunes we wanted.” 

Easter over, the gaieties of spring at Triple 


244 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

X crowded fast. The woods were wonderful 
with fresh color. In the deep fishing pools 
flashed the young trout. Each morning new 
warblers appeared in the green fringed tree 
tops. The ranch was vibrant with a fresh 
buoyancy. Dozens of downy yellow chickens 
kept the girls busy feeding them. Young 
rabbits frolicked over the lawn toward the open 
hotbeds in the hope of finding Bob some time 
off guard. Judge Boone begged help in 
“ tidying up ” his shop. Mummy Richards 
sent the girls off to the clearing for mush- 
rooms and anemones. Miss Patton took 
them to sketch the hills, magically transformed 
by the April sun and showers. There were 
glorious rides over the trails no longer winter- 
bound by snow. The school buzzed with 
plans for May-day. 

“ Let’s have a Robin Hood archery f6te,” 
suggested Betty, who was always ready with 
original plans. 

The girls agreed enthusiastically. Judge 
Boone spent all his time helping them 


Recrowned 


H S 

make bows and arrows and Clare made the 
targets. 

11 And of course we’ll have a May-pole,” 
planned Jess. 

“ And a May-queen,” added Caroline. 

“ We’ll dance on the green like the Eliza- 
bethan folk,” suggested Lilian eager, as every 
one else was, to help plan the wonderful day. 

“ Just think,” Nan said in high delight, 
“ I’ll really know what a May-day is like. I’ll 
see a May-day queen crowned with flowers.” 

The color and romance which clustered 
about May-day in her mind quickened her 
imagination to a high pitch. Long before 
daylight on May morning she was awake 
excitedly waiting for the sunrise songs. 

“ Wake up, Jean,” she said, finally. “ How 
can you sleep so late on May-day ? ” 

Jean stirred sleepily. 

“ If you had ridden as far as I rode yester- 
day, you’d be sleepy, too. Besides it’s ages 
before getting up time,” she said snuggling 
back comfortably for a little nap. 


246 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

t 

Nan found it useless to try to get Jean 
awake. She lay quite still in her bed, listen- 
ing to the hundreds of little out-of-doors 
sounds blending into a symphony of beautiful 
suggestion. 

Suddenly the sound of singing voices made 
her sit bolt upright in bed. It was too early 
for the sunrise song — what were the girls 
singing? Wonderfully sweet the melody 
became clearer and clearer. Jean propped 
herself upon her elbow, quite awake now, and 
listened curiously. 

“ What is it, Jean ? ” whispered Nan, breath- 
lessly. “ Oh, what is it ? ” 

“ They’re singing a May-day song,” Jean 
answered softly. 

Now the voices were beneath the windows 
and they could hear every word of the song. 

High and sweet the girls sang : 

“ Put on your gown of dainty white, 

Put on your bodice blue, 

For Pve been waiting all the night 
To greet the May with you. 


Recrowned 


2 47 


And every tree is white with thorn, 

The village blithe and gay. 

Come out, come out this happy morn 
And be our Queen, 

And be our Queen of May.” 

“Oh, Jean,” breathed Nan, “you’re going 
to be the May-queen.” 

“ They mean you,” whispered Jean. “ I’m 
sure it’s you — and oh, Nan, I’m so glad.” 

They crept together and Jean held Nan’s 
hand very close. 

Then came a great clamoring at their door. 

“ You’re to be Queen of May — both of you, 
Nan and Jean,” announced Ann’s eager voice. 
“ We just couldn’t choose one of you without 
the other, so we’re going to have two queens.” 


CHAPTER XVII 


OVERLAND 

“Oh, Jean, wasn’t it beautiful?” Nan ex- 
claimed radiantly at the end of the wonderful 
May-day. “The garlands of flowers, the 
ribbons, and oh — the crowns! Just think, 
I’ve been Queen of the May. I shall keep 
my crown forever.” 

Nan spoke in a tone of awe, as if her day’s 
experience were altogether too wonderful to 
happen to her. Her cheeks were flushed and 
her eyes bright with excitement. Jean kissed 
her impulsively. She knew that whatever 
might come to her dear Nan in the years that 
followed, nothing could bring her more joy 
than that day’s events. Jean herself was 
not less impressed by the significance of the 
holiday homage. 

“ After all,” she said with exultation, 
248 


Overland 


249 


“ clothes didn’t make any difference in the 
end. How I’ll enjoy writing to Father 
Dick, Cousin Elizabeth and Cousin Rachel 
about it ! Most of all I’ll enjoy telling 
Tubby, because he was so skeptical. I’m 
going to write to them all right now.” 

Jean’s messages to Cousin Elizabeth and 
Cousin Rachel were full of exclamation points. 
How glad she was that she had come to 
Triple X dressed like a girl from a poor 
family ! What a wonderful thing it was to 
find that she could be friends with every one 
just the same as if she were labeled with 
Father Dick’s checks ! She was so happy ! 
And Nan was happy too — that was the best 
part. 

Her letter to Tubby was very jubilant. 

“ You said I couldn’t ‘ stick it out,’ Tubby 
— those were your very words. You were so 
sure I couldn’t resist wearing my pretty 
furbelows here at Triple X — and if I did, 
that I couldn’t make friends with all of the 
girls. 1 Schoolgirls are so silly, most of them/ 


250 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

you said ; * there are always some rich girls 
that won’t be friends with any one that hasn’t 
money. You might as well not be rich as to 
look as if you weren’t, so far as girls like that 
are concerned.’ 

“ For a long time I thought you were right, 
but this beautiful May-day has proved that 
you weren’t. I have another crown-wreath 
now to put away with the one you gave me 
when you crowned me La Princesita del Patio. 
Do you remember the coronation there in the 
patio at Orizaba ? I suppose my wreaths will 
get all crumbly and fall to pieces after a while, 
but I shall never forget my two beautiful 
coronation days.” 

Cousin Rachel wrote in answer to Jean’s 
message that her letter seemed “ chock full 
of rainbows ” — it glowed so with joy and 
exuberance. Cousin Elizabeth said that she 
could explain the illusion of rainbows, for 
both Rachel and she had to wipe their glasses 
a great many times as they read the gratifying 
outcome of Jean’s venture. 


Overland 


251 


" Listen to Father Dick’s letter,” Jean said 
reading joyously to Nan what Mr. Kingsley 
had to say about the great news. “ The best 
thing of all, he says, is that now we can really 
enjoy our money, since I’ve proved that it 
need not stand in the way of natural, sincere 
friendships.” 

Tubby’s letter from Nevada was a long time 
coming, because, as he explained, he was busy 
getting ready to start up north on an engineer- 
ing trip. 

“ Learning to be a mining man means lots 
of hard work. Maybe you remember, I told 
you down in Mexico that I’d made up my 
mind to be a first-class mining man, so I’ve 
got to learn a lot more about engineering than 
I know now. We’ll get somewhere near your 
ranch likely, for our route takes us close to 
the Yellowstone. I reckon I’ll try to manage 
to see you long enough to tell you what I 
think about that May-day crown of yours.” 

“ Now, what do you suppose he thinks ? ” 
exclaimed Jean much exasperated, to Nan, 


252 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

who was always as much interested as Jean 
herself in Tubby’s communications. “ Isn’t 
he provoking? Tubby is always like that. 
I never know what he is going to do or say. 
It’s just like him to keep me waiting to learn 
what he thinks. But I suppose, after all, he 
thinks it’s nothing of importance. He even 
forgot to say when he is going to start on his 
trip. We’ll probably be on our way back to 
Payneville by the time he is in Wyoming.” 

“ Oh, just think — it’s only a little while 
until school at Triple X comes to an end. I 
don’t know whether to be glad or sorry,” 
Nan said. “ I can hardly wait to get home 
and start my work, but oh, I do love Triple 
X so much.” 

“ And so do I, — I never loved any place 
more. It’s going to be hard to leave,” Jean 
admitted mournfully. 

“ Oh, have you heard the news, the won- 
derful news ? ” asked Caroline, bursting into 
the room unceremoniously with Ann at her 
heels. “ We’re going to take a trip overland.” 


Overland 


2 53 

“Who — where?” exclaimed Nan and Jean 
in one breath. 

“ Daddy Richards is going to take us on a 
trip through Yellowstone Park,” explained 
Ann. “ We’re going to ride horseback and 
cook in the open.” 

“ And sleep in tents — or on the ground if 
we want to — on soft beds of pine-boughs,” 
went on Caroline. “ We’re going to have 
mess-wagons and everything as much like 
the round-up outfits which they used in the 
early days as Daddy Richards can manage. 
We’ll have a few extras to make us comfort- 
able, but Daddy Richards says it’s really 
going to be a sure enough overland trip 
without any unnecessary frills.” 

“ There will be lots of good things to eat on 
the mess-wagon, but oh, Nan, don’t forget to 
cram in some of your goodies,” begged Ann. 

“ Come out to see the mess-wagons,” called 
Betty excitedly. 

The girls rushed out to view the two mess- 
wagons which were newly equipped for the 


254 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

expedition. They were very fascinating, 
packed with tightly rolled tents and sleep- 
ing bags, big kettles and frying-pans, all in 
shelved compartments. 

“ Nothing can get out of place, you see,” 
said Daddy Richards, greatly enjoying the 
girls’ excitement. “ We can pack and un- 
pack in a very short time without any con- 
fusion.” 

“ Daddy is going to teach every girl to lay 
a camp-fire,” said Betty, “ one that we can 
actually use for cooking, with stones placed 
to hold up the kettles.” 

“ We’re going to learn all sorts of outdoor 
craft,” added Daddy Richards. “ There will 
be many new flowers and trees to get ac- 
quainted with along the way and birds with- 
out number. When we get to the Yellow- 
stone there will be no end of natural history 
to interest you. Here’s the schedule of our 
trip.” 

He produced a schedule which he handed 
to Jean to read aloud : 


Overland 


255 

“ Shoshone Canon past the Government 
Dam / 7 she read, “ then on up to the valley of 
the North Fork. Break camp for The Holy 
City, Thousand-foot Cliff, Devil's Elbow, Dead 
Indian, The Hole in the Wall, Pinnacle Point, 
Cathedral Rock, Statuary Hill. Camp on 
Middle Creek Meadow " 

“ Oh, what nice names the places have," ex- 
claimed Nan. “ I'm sure we'll never want to 
leave one place for another." 

“Wait until you hear some of the other 
names," Jean said reading on interestedly. 

“ I shall love Loop-the-Loop, I'm sure," 
exclaimed Lilian. 

“ It isn't what you probably imagine," ex- 
plained Daddy Richards. “ It's part of a 
ten-mile climb where one person may push 
ahead and stand directly above another." 

“Oh, the trip will be just like gypsying," 
Caroline said delightedly. “ I've always 
wanted to go a-gypsying." 

“ And so have I," echoed the girls in chorus. 

“ Gypsying is in the air," remarked Mummy 


256 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

Richards, taking a long breath of the May- 
scented breeze. 

The road was indeed calling. The birch- 
trees waved their little tassels and fringes of 
new leaves enticingly and the birds sang dis- 
tractingly of wandering joys. There were 
vagrant perfumes in the air, strayed, so it 
seemed, over the mountains from blossoming 
orchards of California. 

“ I can hardly wait to start,” Ann said, 
linking her arm in Jean’s as they walked to 
the ranch house. “ There’s just one thing 
that makes me feel sad, Jean — at the end of 
the trip comes good-bye to you. If only I 
hadn’t been so horrid at first.” 

“ Don’t think about that now,” begged Jean. 

“ But I can’t help thinking about it,” Ann 
said sorrowfully. “ I don’t see how I ever 
could have been so horrid to you, just because 
you weren’t rich — why, you’re just as nice in 
those plain clothes you wear as you would be 
in furbelows. I suppose that I knew that 
all along — but, you see, I had picked up 


Overland 


257 

ideas that were snobbish as could be. I think 
I’ll know enough after this not to judge by 
fine feathers. You and Nan are trumps. 
You've taught me how little money really 
counts." 

Jean gave Ann's arm a little squeeze. 

“ You make me very happy, Ann," she re- 
plied softly. “ Happier than I've ever been." 

Ann was somewhat puzzled by the little 
burst of laughter which followed Jean's re- 
mark. 

The next few days were busy ones of prep- 
aration. Notwithstanding the fact that the 
girls could take very little luggage along, they 
found it very hard to finish their packing. 

“ I'll never decide what to leave behind," 
cried Jean in despair to Ann who sat watching 
her in mingled amusement and sadness. 

“ It's funny to see you pack, and that makes 
me want to laugh, but when I think of how 
soon I'll have to say good-bye to you, then I 
can hardly keep from crying. Promise me 
you'll come to visit me and let me make up 


258 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

for all I’ve done that’s horrid,” begged Ann 
earnestly. “ California is beautiful, and I’ll 
make you have a perfectly wonderful time.” 

“ I’d like to see California again,” Jean said 
dreamily, as she folded a well-worn skirt very 
carefully and caressingly. 

“ Again ? ” Ann questioned in great surprise. 
“Why, I didn’t know that you had ever been 
there.” 

“ Yes, I picked fruit on a ranch there once,” 
Jean answered. “ It was great fun.” 

Ann’s face showed a variety of feelings. 

“ I’ve always wanted to try picking fruit 
myself, but I never have. I suppose it’s just 
one of the many things I thought I couldn’t 
do because I happen to have money. I know 
now that I’ve missed lots of good times on 
that account. After all, being rich means 
something besides having plenty of money. 
You’re a great deal richer than I am, because 
you’ve learned to get fun out of everything.” 

Nan gave a little spluttering cough, thus 
preventing an outburst which always threat- 


Overland 


259 

ened when Ann had anything to say about 
Jean’s lack of money. 

“ Aren’t you really going to tell Ann before 
you leave Triple X?” Nan asked after Ann 
had hurried off to finish her own packing. 
“ Are you going to let her keep on thinking 
you’re as poor as a church mouse ? ” 

“ Why not?” Jean answered laughingly. 
“ If she knew the real state of things she 
would feel worse than ever. Perhaps some 
time I may tell her — but not for a long time. 
Maybe when we get to be very old and sit 
always knitting by the fire, I’ll remind her of 
Triple X and relate how things really were.” 

“ Well — perhaps that’s the best way,” Nan 
agreed slowly, not, however, sharing Jean’s 
laughter. “ But I can’t help wishing that all 
the girls at Triple X could know who you 
really are. If only I hadn’t promised not to 
tell.” 

“But you did promise,” "Jean reminded 
her. “ And you’re going to keep your promise, 
aren’t you, Nan ? ” 


260 A Little Princess of the Ranch 


“ Of course/’ Nan replied, “ but after this 
I’ll not be so quick to make promises.” 

“ You chatterers,” cried Jess, poking her 
head in at the door. “ If you don’t hurry 
with your packing, we’ll never get off to see 
the Fire Hole Lake, the Great Fountain Gey- 
ser and ” 

“ And the Petrified Forests,” exclaimed 
Nan, jumping up in great haste to select a last 
hair ribbon. 


CHAPTER XVIII 






A CAMP VISITOR 


! 


1 



“ Is it raining ? ” Nan asked, turning sleep- 
ily in her pine-bough bed. 

“ No, that’s just the chipmunks, pattering 
over the tent,” Jean answered. “ I’ve been 
awake a long time listening.” 

“ It’s getting light — let’s get up,” suggested 
Nan, wide awake at once. 

It was the first night out of Gardiner of the 
overland trip and the girls found to their sur- 
prise that they had slept just as soundly as if 
they had been in their snug beds at Triple X. 

“ It’s too early,” Jean replied. “ They’re 
just beginning to build up the camp-fire for 
breakfast.” 

“ I can hear a thousand things — way off — 
can’t you ? ” 

“ Yes, a little jumble of sounds.” 

261 


262 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

Very quietly they lay for a few moments 
listening to the music of the forest. Grad- 
ually the camp stirred to activity. They 
could hear the Little Wrangler talking to the 
horses. There was a tantalizing clatter of 
pans. From the next tent they heard a squeal 
from Clare, who declared that something was 
nibbling her riding boots. 

Suddenly a long echoing halloo made the 
girls sit up in their beds. 

“ Some one’s lost,” hazarded Nan. 

There followed a great crashing of brush 
and the voices sounded very near. Daddy 
Richards answered with the camp-call. 

“ We’re after salt,” a voice announced. 
“ We haven’t a grain in camp. Our cook left 
it all behind the last stop.” 

The voice electrified Jean. 

“ It’s Tubby,” she cried bobbing up ex- 
citedly. 

“ Tubby ? ” exclaimed Nan. “ How in the 
world can it be Tubby ? ” 

“ I don’t know, but it’s Tubby and no mis- 


A Camp Visitor 263 

take,” Jean answered confidently. “ I’d know 
his voice anywhere.” 

She jumped up and dressed herself in what 
Nan termed “ two shakes.” 

“Is it really you, Tubby?” Jean cried, 
rushing out of the tent to find Tubby 
standing by the camp-fire talking to Daddy 
Richards. 

“ You’re right it is, Jean,” Tubby answered 
hurrying toward her and whirling her around 
by way of welcome. 

“ You don’t seem one bit surprised to see 
me,” Jean exclaimed breathlessly. 

“ Well, I’m not, to tell the truth,” Tubby 
informed her. “ I got news yesterday about 
this Triple X camping party and rushed along 
to catch up. I had an idea this morning, 
when I went on this errand for our cook, that 
I might get news of you as well as salt.” 

“ Why, you’ve grown a foot; you don’t look 
like yourself, Tubby,” Jean gasped, survey- 
ing him. “ Why, you’re not fat at all any 


more. 


264 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

“ I couldn't grow two ways at once/' Tubby 
answered, looking laughingly into her up- 
lifted face. 

“ I don't even come up to your shoulder,” 
Jean said with chagrin. 

“Never mind — I reckon you've outgrown 
me in other ways.'' 

Then followed an excited explanation to 
Daddy Richards concerning Tubby's arrival. 

“ I've heard a good deal about you,” said 
Daddy Richards cordially to Tubby. “Jean 
has told me many of your ideas about 
things.” 

“ Ideas she didn’t agree with, I'll wager,” 
Tubby replied laughing. 

Daddy Richards invited Tubby to stay to 
breakfast. The Little Wrangler hurried off 
with salt to the neighboring camp. 

The Triple X camp was set astir by the 
news that a friend of Jean's had arrived un- 
expectedly. It was hard for Jean to intro- 
duce Tubby by his real name, Robert Wood. 

“ It doesn't sound natural,” she exclaimed. 


A Camp Visitor 265 

" You see, I've always called him Tubby ever 
since I knew him." 

“ I should like to know how you got your 
name of Tubby," remarked Mummy Rich- 
ards as she looked approvingly at his tall, 
well-knit figure which showed such fine mus- 
cular power. 

“ Yes, so should I," chimed in Betty. “ I 
think the name Robert is ever so much nicer 
than Tubby." 

Tubby joined in the general laughter at 
Betty's frankness. 

“ Well, you see, there was a time when 
Tubby was the most appropriate name any 
one could possibly call me," he explained. 
“ I was round and fat as could be. Every- 
body in Tonopah used to call me Tubby, just 
the same as they called Jean here by the 
name " 

Jean gave a sudden exclamation calling 
every one's attention to the fact that one of 
the cooks was giving the signal for the break- 
fast gong. 


266 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

“ Breakfast,” she cried eagerly, “ and not a 
minute too soon.” 

There was a general scurry to answer the 
call, for every one was hungry and eager for 
the delicious camp meal. Jean was greatly 
relieved that no one thought to ask Tubby to 
finish his sentence which she had interrupted. 
Breakfast proved hilarious indeed. Every one 
seemed to be trying to talk to Tubby at once, 
urging him to relate more of his adventures 
on his engineering trip. Jean felt comfort- 
able so long as Tubby kept off the subject of 
Tonopah, but she longed for the opportunity 
to have a word with him alone. She in- 
tended to warn him about speaking of her 
Princess name and her father’s wealth. She 
grew very anxious indeed at the thought of 
what a possible word from Tubby might reveal. 

“ Tubby, why didn’t you tell us you were 
coming?” Jean asked, suddenly becoming 
aware of her long silence. 

Tubby laughed at the reproach in her voice. 

“Now isn’t that just like a girl?” he ex- 


A Camp Visitor 267 

claimed. “ How could I tell you when I 
didn’t know myself? You see I’m not run- 
ning this engineering party. I only knew 
that if I got anywhere near you, I’d find you 
— and I have.” 

He smiled down at her as if it were the 
most natural thing in the world that they 
should be chatting together there at the 
camp breakfast. 

“ Oh, Tubby, come along with us through 
the Park. We’ll have such fun.” 

“ Can’t do it,” Tubby said decisively. 

“ Not even as far as the Paint Pots and the 
Fish Cone, where we can catch fish from the 
lake on one side, then boil them in the bub- 
bling water on the other ? ” pleaded Jean. 

“ I must say good-bye to you very soon 
— and get back to my work. We are set- 
ting in another direction after to-day.” 

Jean looked at him in great disappoint- 
ment. 

“ Why, you’ve just come,” she cried, “ and 
you’re going right away again.” 


268 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

“ I must,” Tubby answered reluctantly. 
“ But instead of letting myself feel disap- 
pointed about it, I’m going to think what 
good luck it is that I can have even a few 
hours in Triple X camp and also that we’re 
going to ride in your direction to-day. It’s a 
travel day for our party instead of a working 
day, so maybe I can see you again.” 

“ We’ll ask your boss to let you ride along 
with us — perhaps we can arrange to keep in 
sight of his party,” suggested Daddy Rich- 
ards. 

“ Hurrah,” was the general chorus at the 
prospect of seeing more of Tubby. 

“ It will be very pleasant indeed to have 
you for a visitor,” said Mummy Richards. 
“ But one day is so short. It’s a great pity 
we can’t take you on with us at least as far 
as Yancey’s.” 

“ Yancey’s ? ” questioned Tubby. 

“ The Park buffaloes are near Yancey’s,” 
explained Jean. “ Oh, you really ought to 
see them.” 


A Camp Visitor 269 

“ And the greatest hunting ground in the 
United States,” went on Caroline enthusiastic- 
ally. 

“ The greatest hunting ground in the United 
States ? ” repeated Tubby vaguely. 

“ Jackson’s Hole,” cried the girls in banter- 
ing chorus. 

“ We have to take a side trip and go over 
the famous Sheridan Trail to reach it,” Clare 
informed him. 

Betty requested her father to bring out the 
map which showed their route. Tubby was 
forthwith enlightened in regard to the mi- 
nutest details of the Park geography. 

“ You see, we’ll go along between De Lacy 
Creek and Lewis Falls, past Shoshone and 
Lewis Lakes,” said Nan, pointing at the 
places on the map with a stick. “ Then we’ll 
go down past Snake River Station over the 
shoulder of the Tetons. We’re going to have 
a good look at the big peaks, The Grand and 
Mount Moran.” 

“Show him where Fire Hole Lake is,” 


^']o A Little Princess of the Ranch 

cried Lilian. “ That’s where we can see a 
flame of fire waggling back and forth at the 
bottom of the lake.” 

“ Not a real flame — it’s just an illusion,” 
said Nan, very intent upon being exact. 

“ Well, the skeletons we’ll see at the bottom 
of Skeleton Pool are real,” Lilian said tri- 
umphantly. “ If we crawl to the edge of the 
pool we can see the bones of five or six 
buffaloes and other animals which were 
chased into the water by the Indians. I can 
hardly wait to see that place.” 

“ I’m more interested in the Tower Falls 
trip,” remarked Jess. “ Around there we’ll 
see wild mountain sheep and elk, antelope 
and beaver. Daddy Richards has promised 
us some fine fishing there.” 

“ It’s the most beautiful waterfall in the 
Park,” added Clare, “ and the Petrified Trees 
are near there, too.” 

“ We’re going over the top of Mount 
Washburn,” Ann informed him excitedly. 
“Just think — we can see the whole Park 


A Camp Visitor 271 

from there — all the lakes, geysers, forests and 
canons spread out like a picture book.” 

“ After we leave Mount Washburn,” said 
Nan, continuing her pointing on the map, 
“ we’ll ride through little stretches of snow 
and patches of wild mountain flowers. We’re 
all going to press some in our wild flower 
books. Then ” — here she drew a long breath 
— “ we come to the Grand Canon.” 

“ You’d better ,stop right there, Nan,” 
advised Mummy Richards. “ For no one 
can describe the Canon.” 

“ I’ve seen pictures of it — all reds and 
yellows,” ventured Clare, eager to help in an 
attempt to detail the grandeur of the Yellow- 
stone Canon. 

“ And queer fantastic shapes below the 
Falls,” mentioned Jean. 

“ Don’t forget the waters of the Yellow- 
stone leaping first over a hundred feet, and 
then dropping three hundred and ten feet,” 
exclaimed Helen, proud of her memory. 

“ You may as well do all the chattering 


272 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

you like about the Canon now,” suggested 
Daddy Richards, “ for when you see it you 
can’t talk about it.” 

“ I can’t imagine not being able to talk 
about anything one sees,” said Jess, doubtful 
whether she was going to like altogether this 
silence-producing place. 

“ Here’s the valley,” went on Nan, “ with 
mountains all about — and here’s the big bridge 
at the outlet of the lake. There we turn 
back to Triple X.” 

“ I begin to realize how ignorant I am 
about the Park,” said Tubby, humbly study- 
ing the map. 

“ Not a bit more ignorant than these girls 
were a few days ago,” confided Daddy Rich- 
ards. “ To be sure, they know this map from 
A to Z now, and they can tell you every 
detail of interest about each place, but they’ve 
learned all this since we started to plan our 
overland trip.” 

The cooks, guides and horse-wranglers 
began preparations to break camp, and 


A Camp Visitor 273 

every one stood interestedly about the mess- 
wagons. 

“ I just can’t believe they can get every- 
thing back in,” said Nan, gazing speculatively 
at the big heaps of pans and kettles, blankets 
and tents. 

“ Who wants to ride in the coach to-day ? ” 
inquired Mummy Richards, who was bustling 
about getting the girls started. 

The coach was taken along for those who 
got tired of riding horseback. So far all of 
the girls had scorned it, although it was as 
jaunty a traveling coach as had ever appeared 
on the road. 

" Not I — not I,” cried all the girls quickly. 

Everybody laughed at the expression on 
Long Tim’s face as he climbed in solitary 
state to the driver’s seat in the coach. 

“ Wait until- it rains,” he prophesied, “ then 
you’ll change your tune.” 

Great was the rejoicing when the Little 
Wrangler brought the word that Tubby could 
remain with the Triple X party for the day. 


274 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

“ I’ll make the most of one day,” Tubby 
exclaimed, highly elated at the unexpected 
pleasure. 

The “ getting ready bugle ” started a babble 
of questions to which Tubby listened in high 
amusement : 

“ Where in the world is my knapsack ? 
Who has my wild flower book ? Whose 
gloves are these? Are you sure you have 
everything? What are we going to see now ? 
Where did Daddy Richards say we’d stop 
next?” 

Tubby proved himself a genius at answer- 
ing these rapid fire questions, directed to no 
one in particular. He made himself so useful 
and companionable that, as Nan said, “ he 
just seemed to belong to Triple X.” One 
thing the girls would not allow him to do — 
and that was to help them mount. 

“ We are so used to swinging into our 
saddles all by ourselves, we can’t help liking 
that way better,” explained Louise, smiling at 
Tubby’s look of surprise. 


2 75 


A Camp Visitor 

The bugle for starting sounded clear and 
invitingly sweet. With almost military pre- 
cision the party started off. 

“ I see a bear,” screeched Ann, peering back 
at the deserted camp. “ A big brown one.” 

“ Oh, Ann,” cried Caroline laughingly, 
“ don’t you remember Daddy Richards said 
that there was no need to scream at the bears 
in the Park, for they are as gentle as can be ? 
The bear is poking about to see if we left any- 
thing good to eat.” 

“ Wouldn’t he feel lucky if he found one 
of those good biscuits we had for breakfast ? ” 
said Tubby, interestedly taking a backward 
look at the bear. 

“I see some smoke,” exclaimed Jean, sud- 
denly calling their attention from the bear. 
“ Look down over the forests — why, the trees 
are all on fire, I do believe.” 

“ It’s the geysers,” explained Daddy 
Richards. 

Then there was a great buzz of excited 
exclamations. Every one rummaged about 


276 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

for field-glasses to get a clearer view of the 
white misty columns which at that distance 
did indeed look to the naked eye like smoke 
rising from the valley. 

“ I see one that throws its spray in the 
shape of a big fan,” cried Lilian, “ and another 
like a giant bush.” 

“ There’s one to the right with a top like a 
bunch of feathers,” observed Helen excitedly. 

“ I look forward to hearing the chorus 
when you all see these geysers close at hand,” 
remarked Daddy Richards. “ The spring 
basins are such marvels of color and the 
boiling gushers full of such extraordinary 
fluids, I’ve no doubt I’ll have a hard time 
keeping you at safe distance. You’ll all be 
wishing for some of the pretty colored mud 
which cooks in some of the caldrons.” 

“ Wouldn’t it be fun to make a pink or 
lavender mud pie?” suggested Nan enthu- 
siastically. 

“ You’ll all be too much awed by the great 
roaring and hissing and splashing to think of 


A Camp Visitor 277 

anything at all,” said Mummy Richards, who, 
after many visits to the Park, maintained that 
the geysers were the greatest sight of all. 

“ You'd better put up your field-glasses 
or you will miss some of the sights near at 
hand," advised Dr. Hans, calling their atten- 
tion to some new flowers along the way. 

Daddy Richards had to blow his “ hurry- 
up ” signal very often, so many alluring 
things drew their attention. After a time he 
sent two of the guides in the rear to “ shoo ” 
the girls ahead when they lingered too long. 

Clare, who had a passion for wild flowers, 
kept dismounting continually to snatch some 
new specimen for her book. 

“ Oh, dear," she cried suddenly, “ my book's 
full already." 

“ Never mind — you may have mine," said 
Ann ; “ I'm not so keen about dried flowers 
as you are. Besides, it makes less for me to 
carry." 

Clare's thanks were cut short by a scream 
from Caroline. 


278 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

“ Goodness, what is it, Caroline ? ” called 
Ann, anxiously. 

Caroline had reined her horse near a large 
boulder. She leaned from her saddle and 
pointed with her riding crop to a little bundle 
of fur in the grass. 

“ Why, it’s only a squirrel,” announced 
Nan, clattering up. “ I supposed it was noth- 
ing less than a mountain sheep the way you 
screamed.” 

“ It couldn’t be a mountain sheep,” Jess 
reminded her. “ You know we’ll see those 
only near Mount Washburn. Why were you 
so excited about a squirrel, Caroline ? ” 

“ Because it’s hurt — it’s dreadfully hurt,” 
explained Caroline, springing from her saddle 
and bending over the frightened little crea- 
ture. “ It can’t move. Some bigger animal 
has torn it half to pieces.” 

“ Oh, two of its legs are hurt,” cried Nan, 
dismounting to help investigate. “ Poor little 
thing — look how bright its eyes are.” 

“ Oh, I wish I could help it,” exclaimed 


A Camp Visitor 279 

Caroline almost in tears. “ I wish my hands 
knew how.” 

“ I’ll call Dr. Hans and Tubby,” said Jean, 
practically, dashing on ahead to summon first 
aid. 

Dr. Hans examined the squirrel carefully 
and announced that two of its legs were 
broken. 

“ If Tubby here will play first assistant 
we'll try setting the broken bones,” said 
Dr. Hans kindly. 

With the girls hovering around, Dr. Hans 
fashioned some tiny splints and took his 
smallest bandages from his emergency case. 

“ We'll have to give the squirrel a whiff of 
an anaesthetic to keep it quiet,” said Dr. 
Hans. “ The bones are so small it will not 
be easy to set them in any case.” 

Very soon he had his little patient quiet. 
He laid it gently upon some clean gauze and 
instructed Tubby how to help cleanse the 
wounds. Then very dexterously he set the 
tiny broken legs and bandaged them securely. 


280 A Little Princess of the Ranch 


Tubby helped with so much deftness that 
Dr. Hans declared he had missed his calling. 

“ The little fellow can thank its stars that 
you happened along, Dr. Hans,” exclaimed 
Tubby admiringly. “ That was a hard job.” 

“ If we could just keep it quiet now for a 
while, so its bones could get a chance to 
mend,” remarked Dr. Hans, solicitously. 

“ It’s beginning to wake up already — what 
shall we do with it ? ” questioned Caroline 
anxiously. “ We can’t leave it here.” 

“ Of course not,” cried Jean ; “ whatever it 
was that hurt it might come back. The poor 
little thing can’t move yet.” 

“ It might starve to death before it gets 
well,” suggested Nan. “ Let’s take it along 
with us.” 

Her suggestion met with a general chorus 
of approval and every one gathered about dis- 
cussing the best means of making the squirrel 
comfortable. 

“ Let’s make a cage out of wild grape-vine 
— then we can take it along in the coach,” 


281 


A Camp Visitor 

said Tubby, eager as the girls to save the 
little animal from death. “ Later on, when 
it gets well, you can set it free.” 

“ Good,” cried Dr. Hans. “ That is the 
best suggestion we’ve had. Judge Boone can 
direct the cage-making.” 

Judge Boone helped select the most pliable 
grape-vine stems, and the girls set indus- 
triously to work to weave the cage. Tubby 
gathered some soft grasses and mosses to 
cover the bottom, and very soon the little 
patient had as comfortable a couch as could 
be fashioned by the many willing hands. 
Finding that it was coming to no harm, the 
squirrel soon ceased its pitiful struggles to 
get away and lay exhausted in the bottom 
of the cage. 

“ At last you have a passenger,” Jean an- 
nounced to Long Tim as they bore the cage 
carefully to the coach. 

“ But some one must go along to take care 
of the passenger,” cried Caroline. “ I’ll give 
up my mount and get into the coach.” 


282 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

“ So will I,” said Jess instantly, laughing 
at the disappointed looks of the girls who 
were not so quick. 

“ Let’s have relays,” suggested Jean ; “ then 
we can all help and have a turn at riding in 
the coach.” 

Long Tim laughed at finding his coach 
suddenly so popular. 

“ I knew you’d all be wanting to get into 
the coach, sooner or later,” he said trium- 
phantly. 

“ Now we must feed the patient,” said Jess. 
“ Let’s ask the cooks for nuts and things.” 

Off went Clare and Ann to the mess-wagon 
for food supplies, while those who were left 
without duties hovered about the coach solic- 
itously suggesting all manner of things for 
their charge. 

“ What’s my sick passenger’s name ? ” in- 
quired Long Tim interestedly. 

“ We’ve forgotten to name it,” exclaimed 
Nan. “ I think it would be more comfortable 
with a name.” 


A Camp Visitor 283 

Then straightway rose such a babble that 
Daddy Richards had to blow his bugle for 
order. 

“ If we stop to name the patient now, we’ll 
make no progress at all to-day,” he said 
laughingly. “ I suggest that we leave that 
ceremony until we call a halt at noon.” 


CHAPTER XIX 


THE HOLD-UP 

“ It's Jean’s and Louise’s turn to lay the 
camp-fires,” announced Daddy Richards at 
noon. “ Remember not to use too many 
sticks to start each fire.” 

“ Mayn’t we have more than three ? ” asked 
Louise anxiously. “ It’s so hard to do with 
only three sticks.” 

“ Well — perhaps you may use four, since 
you are novices at the art,” agreed Daddy 
Richards. 

The two girls set to work industriously, 
piling up stones in the proper fashion to hold 
the big coffee-pots and pans. The cooks 
waited patiently with their iron tripods which 
supported the vegetable pots over the flames. 

“ I don’t see why it won’t burn,” exclaimed 
Louise desperately surveying the faintly sput- 
tering flame. 


284 


The Hold-Up 285 

“ What sort of wood have you chosen ? ” 
inquired Tubby who was one of the interested 
spectators. 

“ Oh, dear, — we forgot to get seasoned 
wood,” cried Jean very much crestfallen. 
“ Of course that’s why the fire is slow.” 

They dashed off quickly to get a new supply 
of fire-wood. 

“ What luck — here’s silver fir and birch,” 
said Louise, snatching up some dry sticks. 
“ This thin bark will burn like paper.” 

“ Oh, look — some purple cones from the flex- 
ilia pine,” exclaimed Jean eagerly. “ They’re 
too pretty to burn but I suppose we can’t stop 
to think of that now.” 

They filled their sacks with cones and 
made bundles of the sticks, then hurried 
into camp, looking for all the world, Ann 
declared, “ like two peasant girls ” with their 
precious kindling. 

Very soon they had a fine fire blazing at 
which Daddy Richards clapped his hands. 

“ It smells good, too,” he said, taking a deep 


286 A Little Princess of the Ranch 


breath of the pungently sweet fragrance of the 
burning cones. 

Louise motioned proudly to the cooks who 
hurriedly began preparations for the noon 
meal. Jean and Louise stood by, surveying 
their work with satisfaction until with a great 
splash one of the coffee-pots tipped over and 
almost extinguished one of the fires. 

“ I suppose we didn’t set the stones se- 
curely,” admitted Jean, darting forward to 
replenish the blaze and adjust the stone-rest. 

“ Hurry and come to the voting contest,” 
called Caroline. “ We can’t decide upon a 
name for the squirrel, so we are going to cast 
votes.” 

The voting consumed so much time that 
no one thought to grumble at the cooks, who 
always seemed slow, no matter how fast they 
worked. Tubby’s name of Marshmallow for 
the squirrel finally received the largest num- 
ber of votes. 

“ I think Marshmallow is a very queer 
name for a squirrel,” remarked Jess. 


The Hold-Up 287 

“ Not when you know why I want to name 
him that,” answered Tubby. “ Once I saw a 
clown whose name was Marshmallow, and 
this little red squirrel is going to play all 
sorts of pranks as soon as it gets better. I 
can see mischief in its eye.” 

“ Marshmallow is just the name,” said Dr. 
Hans. “ I’m very well satisfied with the de- 
cision myself. My only fear is that my pa- 
tient is going to be spoiled — it gets so much 
attention.” 

“ I’m sure it will get too much to eat,” 
commented Mummy Richards with an amused 
glance at the supply of nuts which the girls 
had ready for Marshmallow. 

“ I’ve heard that squirrels adore sweet 
acorns,” suddenly remembered Lilian. “ Let’s 
not forget to look for them along the way.” 

“ Talking about things to eat makes me 
hungrier than ever,” said Jess. “ I’m glad 
that luncheon’s ready.” 

“ You will have a sample of Nan’s marma- 
lade this noon,” Jean informed Tubby as the 


288 A Little Princess of the Ranch 


party seated themselves. “ It’s the most de- 
licious marmalade you ever tasted.” 

Tubby was quite enthusiastic enough to suit 
Jean. 

“ I’m glad you said such nice things, for 
Nan will be encouraged to try her venture 
when we get back to Payneville.” 

Interestedly Tubby listened to Nan’s plans. 

“ Suppose you take a few mail orders right 
now,” he requested, whipping out a little note- 
book. 

“ She has a long list already,” Ann said. 
“ We are going to keep the parcels post just as 
busy as Nan will allow.” 

“ What are you going to do when you get 
back to Payneville, Jean ? ” Tubby asked sud- 
denly. 

For an instant Jean’s face fell. 

“ Oh, I don’t know — nothing I can think 
of seems much beside Nan’s big plan.” 

“ Something will turn up for you to do,” 
prophesied Tubby. “ Something really worth 
while.” 


289 


The Hold-Up 

Jean’s eyes brightened. 

“ You always make me believe in the nice 
side of things,” she said gratefully. 

“ He is perfectly safe in prophesying that 
Jean will find something interesting to do,” 
remarked Daddy Richards. “ Jean hasn’t 
learned how to be a penny whistler for 
nothing.” 

The afternoon’s ride brought them into some 
of the more rugged country. 

Clare surveyed the tall trees and the sharp 
boulders with a little shiver. 

“ They make me think of all sorts of wild 
west things ! ” she cried. 

“ The kind of experiences you read about 
but never have,” said Dr. Hans, laughing. 

“ I see some other party,” exclaimed Jean, 
pointing back toward a curve in the road. 
“ They’re in coaches. How gay they all 
are ! ” 

Interestedly the Triple X party looked back 
to see what manner of fellow travelers were 
following along the same road. 


290 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

“ They all seem to be taking a very animated 
interest in everything,” remarked Mummy 
Richards. “ Everybody seems to be pointing 
at something or other.” 

“ They must be making some mighty funny 
remarks,” commented Tubby. “ Such laugh- 
ing and yelling as they are doing.” 

“ That driver is bound to get his share of 
attention,” observed Long Tim drily. 

They could see the driver of the front 
coach crack his whip from time to time with 
a great flourish. He kept his horses swing- 
ing along at what Long Tim termed “ a fancy 
clip.” 

“ Hello,” exclaimed Tubby suddenly. 
“ Something’s happening.” 

They saw the forward coach come to a 
standstill with a lurch. All the occupants 
rose in their seats in great excitement. There 
was much gesticulating and signaling to the 
coaches behind. 

“What in the world can the matter be ? ” 
speculated Daddy Richards. “ Nothing seems 


The Hold-Up 291 

to be wrong with the horses or the coach — the 
driver keeps his seat.” 

11 1 can see,” cried the Little Wrangler, 
agilely standing upright upon his horse's 
back. “ Two men — there in the road — have 
made 'em come to a standstill.” 

Suddenly out from the screen of a large 
rock dashed the two men into full view. 

“ Oh, they're wearing masks,” screamed 
Lilian. 

“ They're bandits,” cried Nan. “ Oh, we're 
really seeing bandits. Daddy Richards, were 
you keeping it for a surprise ? I had no idea 
there were bandits in the Park.” 

“ Neither had I,” answered Daddy Richards, 
very much disturbed. 

Certainly the two strange men looked the 
part of highwaymen, dressed as they were in 
worn corduroy riding clothes, with soft felt 
hats pulled down over their masked faces. 
In a flash they leveled their guns. Instantly 
all the passengers held up their hands. 

“ It's a hold-up,” exclaimed Mummy Rich- 


292 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

ards, nervously. “ That's what comes of not 
allowing travelers to carry arms in the 
Park.” 

Breathlessly the Triple X party halted and 
craned their necks to see what was going on. 

“ 1 think we'd better ride on as fast as we 
can,” cried Lilian, “ or we'll get robbed, too.” 

“ We've nothing that they would want,” 
said Daddy Richards reassuringly. “ We have 
as little cash as possible — our travelers' checks 
would do them no good. All you girls left 
your valuables behind, so you needn't 
worry.” 

“ Just so they don't harm Marshmallow,” 
said Caroline, excitedly cuddling the cage. 

“ Where are the soldiers who are supposed 
to guard the Park, I should like to know ? ” 
cried Mummy Richards, getting more upset 
every moment. 

“ And you said people were quite safe in 
the Park, Daddy,” Betty reminded her father 
reproachfully. 

“ Look — oh, look, the robbers are making 


The Hold-Up 293 

the party give up their valuables,” announced 
Jean who had ridden back a few paces to get 
a better view. 

Slowly the coach passengers dismounted 
one by one and placed their valuables in a 
spot by the roadside indicated by the masked 
men. 

The women appeared for the most part 
hysterical. One girl clasped her hands 
dramatically in an obvious appeal to keep 
some rings she was wearing, but the highway- 
men were obdurate and she finally dropped 
her treasures upon the pile. A very tall sol- 
dierly looking man of the party started to 
protest and indicated by his actions that he 
was not going to give up his money. This 
caused a great commotion among the women 
passengers — two of them fell back fainting 
into the arms of their companions. The 
fainting ones were promptly revived and 
their entreaties prevented any reckless daring 
upon the part of any one. Each passenger 
forthwith gave up all their possessions with- 


294 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

out protest and signaled to the second coach 
to come on. 

“ That’s the coolest piece of work I ever 
heard of,” ejaculated Tubby disgustedly. “ I 
just can’t stay here and see that second coach 
robbed, too.” 

Before any one could prevent him he slipped 
from his saddle and started back toward the 
robbers. He crouched behind shrubbery and 
picked his way very carefully to escape notice. 
Judge Boone, fired with the prospect of ad- 
venture, followed him. Then the Little 
Wrangler was not to be held back. 

“ Oh, Daddy Richards, promise you won’t 
go, too,” begged Betty. 

“ Oh, do call them back,” cried Mummy 
Richards. “ They’ll be hurt ! ” 

“ I should certainly keep them from going 
if I hadn’t made a little discovery by the use 
of my glasses. No need for any more of you 
men to follow,” said Daddy Richards, re- 
straining the other men. He scrutinized the 
coaches carefully and gave a little chuckle 


as he handed his field-glasses to Mummy 
Richards. 

“ What is it ? ” cried the girls in high ex- 
citement. 

“ Wait and see,” answered Daddy Richards 
tantalizingly. 

“ Oh, look,” screamed Nan. “ They’re mak- 
ing an attack.” 

They beheld the valiant Tubby leading a 
sudden dash from the shrubbery. In a twin- 
kling with the aid of Judge Boone and the 
Little Wrangler, he disarmed the highway- 
men, who showed a strange lack of resistance. 
Tubby was starting to tie the robbers’ hands 
when an amazing shout of laughter came from 
the coach passengers. The bandits themselves 
collapsed weakly with mirth as they gave 
themselves into the hands of their captors. 

Tubby gave one swift glance at the made- 
up faces of the people in the coach. One 
man, clothed in exaggerated English sporting 
clothes, leaned out and cheered vigorously. 

“ You’ve saved our lives,” he cried with a 


296 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

very un-English accent. “ Name your re- 
ward.” 

The girls in the coach all waved their 
handkerchiefs and clapped their hands. The 
men hurrahed loudly. Tubby caught the 
sound of a familiar whir near by. 

“ The movies,” he cried, loosening his hold 
and leading a hurried retreat to face a volley 
of relieved and bantering exclamations from 
the Triple X party who quickly caught the 
situation. 

“ Hail to the conquering chief,” cried the 
girls teasingly as Tubby approached, looking 
very foolish indeed with his hat awry and 
long smudges of dust across his cheek. 

“ Never mind, Tubby,” said Mummy Rich- 
ards soothingly. “ You showed the right 
spirit. I’m sure you’ve proved your 
bravery.” 

“ I’ve felt cheap a good many times in my 
life,” confessed Tubby, “ but never like this.” 

He mopped his face sheepishly as he joined 
in the laugh at his expense. 


2 97 


The Hold-Up 

“ You certainly led us into an April 
Fool adventure,” said Judge Boone, laughing 
heartily at Tubby's rueful expression. “ I 
shall play Follow My Leader a little more 
warily next time.” 

“ I'm glad we didn't have any guns along,” 
said the Little Wrangler thankfully. “ Then 
we might have somethin' to be sorry fer. As 
'tis, I call it a right good joke all around.” 

“ I enjoyed it more than any play I ever 
attended,” Daddy Richards declared ; “ that is 
— after I discovered that it really was a play. 
I admit I was a bit worked up for a few 
minutes. After all, we are safe in the Park, 
Betty.” He turned triumphantly to Betty 
who saluted him laughingly. 

“ Some one is signaling us,” said Mummy 
Richards, calling attention again to the party 
behind them. 

One of the men of the coaching party came 
on ahead and told Daddy Richards that the 
manager wanted to speak to them, especially 
to the men who tried to do the rescue work. 


298 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

At first Judge Boone, Tubby and the I ittle 
Wrangler united in objecting. 

“ He'll only make game of us,” protested 
Tubby. 

“ Sure,” agreed the Little Wrangler. “ I’m 
for ridin’ on.” 

“ I don’t mind laughing about it among 
ourselves, but I declare I don’t believe I could 
stand any joking from the coaching party,” 
said Judge Boone. 

“ I’ll protect you,” Daddy Richards assured 
them. “ We can’t very well refuse to see what 
they want.” 

Everybody waited interestedly to hear what 
Daddy Richards had to report after his inter- 
view. 

" What do you think — the manager of the 
motion picture company wants us to be in a 
picture,” he reported. “ He thinks we’d make 
good actors, — especially Judge Boone, Tubby 
and the Little Wrangler.” 

“Be in a picture,” repeated Mummy Rich- 
ards, frankly horrified. “ Why, w T e can’t do 


that — we can’t have our pictures flashed all 
over the country. Besides we don’t know 
how to act.” 

“ Well, you see, nobody would know us,” 
explained Daddy Richards, boyishly eager to 
try being a super. “ He wants us to appear 
as a group of Indians in another film he 
wants to make. He hasn’t enough in his 
company to make the background groups as 
effective as he wishes. He has plenty of extra 
costumes and he said the disguise would be 
complete. He assured me no one could pos- 
sibly recognize us in our make-up. We’ll not 
have to do any real acting.” 

“ Oh, let’s do it,” begged Nan. “ What a 
lark to be in a moving picture.” 

“ And Indians at that,” added Betty 
eagerly. 

There was an enthusiastic interest from 
every one. Mummy Richards herself grew 
much excited at the thought of wearing 
Indian garb. 

It was finally decided that the Triple X 


300 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

party should help make the film of the 
Indian drama. The manager explained that 
the scenes he would take were only a small 
part of the play, the rest of which would be 
done at his studio in California. 

Donning the Indian costumes was a very 
simple matter to the Triple X party, as the 
loose garments slipped on easily over their 
riding clothes. Great shouts of laughter went 
on in the little tent dressing-rooms, hastily 
set up for their use. 

“ You look exactly like a real Indian,” de- 
clared Jean surveying Nan as she adjusted 
her wig with the two long braids of black 
hair, gay with beads and ribbons. “ Your 
mother would never believe you were you.” 

Every one was quite transformed by the 
Indian trappings ; the manager had to be 
patient while the Triple X party “ had their 
laugh out ” at one another. 

Daddy Richards made an impressive look- 
ing chief. Mummy Richards was irresistible 
with a lifelike papoose strapped upon her 


back. Tubby and the rest of the men looked 
the part of braves from their feathered head- 
dresses to their gaily beaded moccasins. The 
girls made most attractive Indian maids in 
their picturesque blankets. 

The manager had them rehearse the simple 
scenes several times before the film was taken. 
Although they had nothing to do in the first 
scene except to sit around camp-fire and move 
about naturally in the background, they found 
many details to which they must pay strict 
attention. 

“ I am beginning to feel just like an 
Indian,” declared Nan, entering heartily into 
the spirit of the drama. 

It was a revelation to see the moving pic- 
ture company do their parts. 

“ I had no idea there was so much work to 
motion pictures,” exclaimed Tubby, struggling 
to keep the proud poise of an Indian warrior. 

Great was the hilarity when, in the second 
scene, the young squaws must do all the work 
and allow the warriors to rest. It was some 


302 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

time before the scene could be acted with 
proper sobriety. 

The third scene demanded such expectant 
listening that Mummy Richards declared 
that she was prepared to see anything, from 
a monkey to a rhinoceros, emerge from the 
bushes. Presently a warrior appeared bear- 
ing a white child high upon his shoulder. 
The play was founded upon the old story of 
a white child held in captivity by the 
Indians. There were thrilling situations in 
plenty, and a satisfying climax in which the 
child, grown to womanhood, was restored to 
her parents. 

“ Pm sorry we can’t be in all of it,” ex- 
claimed Jean, after the amateurs had doffed 
their play costumes. 

“ It has been heaps of fun,” cried Betty. 
“ It’s ever so much more exciting being in a 
play than just sitting down and looking 
at it.” 

“ Just think — some day we may see our- 
selves on the screen,” speculated Ann. 


3°3 


The Hold-Up 

“ I’m sure we’d never recognize ourselves,” 
said Daddy Richards. “ So we mustn’t forget 
to ask the name of the drama we helped 
make.” He turned to the manager inquir- 
ingly- 

“ Lost and Found,” replied the manager, 
smiling at the effect of the dramatic title 
of the play. 

“We’re not likely to forget that,” said 
Tubby. “ But I’ll write it down to make 
sure.” 

The girls all brought out their kodaks and 
took pictures of the company as they enacted 
several scenes alone. 

“ These snapshots will look funny pasted 
beside pictures of geysers and petrified trees,” 
Nan said gleefully. “ I know nobody ever 
had such a nice Park trip as we are having. 
I hope we’ll have nice unexpected surprises 
like this every day.” 


CHAPTER XX 


FAREWELL TO THE LITTLE PRINCESS 

“ I was never so deliciously tired in my 
life before,” sighed Jean contentedly, as she 
rolled a log to sit upon by the camp-fire at 
night. “ I’m glad that I’ve carried my share 
of pine cones for the fire.” 

Each member of the party hurried in and 
out among the tall trees, gathering fuel. It 
was a rule of the camp that every one had to 
help feed the flame. Gradually, one by one 
the campers gathered about the leaping fire. 
For a time every one was very quiet, watch- 
ing the alpenglow disappear. The wonderful 
light threw a last faint glory upon the trees 
and finally the purplish gloom settled down, 
enwrapping everything with mystery. 

“ It’s more like wonderland than ever,” 
declared Nan, looking up happily at the 
sky. 


304 


Farewell to the Little Princess 305 

“ Somehow the stars make me feel igno- 
rant, n burst out the Little Wrangler from 
his corner — and nobody laughed. 

All eyes were lifted to the rhythmically 
twinkling stars. Above them curved the 
marvelously lighted sky of night, so won- 
derful in its nearness and splendor that 
every beholder looked in awe. 

Tubby broke the spell by jumping up and 
suggesting a war-dance. Breathless he led 
them all in devious turnings and twistings, 
until there was a general cry of exhaustion. 

“ It's time for story-telling,” cried Daddy 
Richards. “ That’s not so hard on weary 
travelers. Tubby, you may pay the proper 
penalty for leading us such a dance by tell- 
ing the first story.” 

“ One about digging for gold,” begged Nan, 
who loved stories of “trying to get some- 
thing,” as she expressed it. 

Tubby was a born “ teller of tales.” His 
droll way of narrating the most ordinary 
incidents made his stories irresistible. The 


306 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

guides had wonderful yarns to contribute 
and Dr. Hans was ready with his inexhaust- 
ible store of legends. The time slipped by 
magically. Tubby was reminded suddenly 
of the hour by a word from one of the guides, 
who was to go with him to rejoin the engi- 
neering party. 

“ I must be off,” Tubby said to Jean. 

“ You are so queer, Tubby,” Jean ex- 
claimed. “ You said that just as if you 
were going off for an hour or so and would 
be coming back any minute. Instead of 
that, there’s no telling when I’ll see you 
again.” 

“ You’ll see me,” answered Tubby con- 
fidently, “ though I can’t tell you just when.” 

Jean remembered suddenly, as Tubby’s 
departure drew near, that he had not said a 
word about her May-day crown. 

“ About that May-day crown of mine ? ” 
she asked inconsequentially. 

“ Oh — I was just as proud of you as could 
be,” answered Tubby heartily. 


Farewell to the Little Princess 307 

“ That’s the first time you ever said that 
you were proud of me, Tubby. Why didn’t 
you tell me before ? ” 

“ Well, I declare,” Tubby replied, laughing. 
“ Didn’t you know it without saying? You 
can always be sure I’m ready to throw up 
my hat and cheer at anything you do that’s 
worth while. You see, it keeps me so busy 
trying not to let you get ahead of me — I 
haven’t time to talk about things much.” 

“ But, Tubby, you’ve already left me far 
behind as far as doing things that count 
are concerned. If only I could be a mining 
engineer like you.” 

“ Some time you’ll get over thinking that 
boys have the advantage over girls in the 
opportunity to ‘ do things.’” 

“ I’ve always wanted to try being a boy 
just to see if I couldn’t do bigger things than 
I do now.” 

“ If some fairy should change you into a 
boy, you’d soon be begging to be a girl 
again,” Tubby assured her. “ All you need 


308 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

is to find out what you really can do if you 
keep your eyes open. It seems to me that 
girls can do just as big things as boys — only 
different kind of things. Suppose we did do 
the same stunts — what’d happen ? ” 

“ Maybe you’re right, Tubby,” admitted 
Jean. “ Anyhow I’ll keep my eyes open — 
your advice is worth trying.” 

“ I’ll be waiting to get a report of the first 
new move. But I must be going.” 

Jean begged Tubby to wait a few moments 
until she went into the tent and brought out 
Father Dick’s last picture. 

“ You just must see it before you go,” she 
insisted. 

It was then, during Jean’s brief absence, 
that Tubby remarked to Mummy Richards : 

“ Triple X hasn’t changed the Little Prin- 
cess one bit.” 

“ The Little Princess — do you mean Jean?” 
questioned Mummy Richards. 

“ Yes, — she looks just the same as ever — 
except her clothes.” 


Farewell to the Little Princess 309 

“ Little Princess is a good name for her — it 
suits her exactly.” 

“ That has been her name for a long time,” 
Tubby continued. “ I gave it to her myself.” 

“ Oh, tell us about it,” begged Ann. 

“ It was in Tonopah, when Jean came there 
with her father — we all called her the Little 
Princess of Tonopah.” 

“ Tonopah ? ” repeated Ann. “ Why, I 
didn't know Jean was ever in Tonopah.” 

“ Well, I should say so, — that was where her 
father struck it rich. We all had some great 
adventures along with the Little Princess.” 

Then Tubby told them about the “ runa- 
way road,” the benefit concert, Ginger's rescue 
and all the other thrilling experiences of the 
mining camp in which Jean shared. 

“ Jean lived ‘ up to ' her Princess name to 
the dot in Tonopah, but she almost lost it 
later on. When she was in Mexico she was 
on probation for a long time. Before she left 
Orizaba, though, we had a coronation for her 
in the patio.” 


310 A Little Princess of the Ranch 

“ Oh, I’m so glad she got her name back,” 
cried Nan, urging Tubby to tell more. 

When, incidentally, Tubby made known 
the large fortune which Jean’s father had 
made, Ann’s face went white. 

“ Three cheers for the Little Princess,” the 
girls shouted excitedly as Jean reappeared. 

Jean looked blank for a moment, then she 
gave one glance at Tubby and understood. 

“Oh, Tubby, how could you?” she cried 
tremulously. “ I meant to warn you about 
telling, but it’s been such an exciting day I 
forgot. Now you’ve spoiled everything.” 

“ No, he hasn’t,” stoutly defended Nan. 
“ It’s better that the truth — the whole truth 
is out at last.” 

“The whole truth?” Jean repeated ques- 
tioningly. A look at Ann confirmed her sus- 
picion. She saw by Ann’s expression what a 
hard moment it was for her. 

“ Don’t mind, Ann,” she begged, throwing 
her arm close about her. 

“ You’ve won your title of Princess of 


Farewell to the Little Princess 311 


Triple X Ranch,” said Mummy Richards, 
“and it makes us all very, very glad.” 

Then again and again the camp echoed with 
the blithe, friendly cry : 

“ Three cheers for the Little Princess — three 
cheers for the Little Princess of Triple X.” 


The Stories in this Series are : 

A LITTLE PRINCESS OF TONOPAH 
A LITTLE PRINCESS OF THE PINES 
A LITTLE PRINCESS OF THE PATIO 
A LITTLE PRINCESS OF THE RANCH 



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